A comparative cadaveric biomechanical study of bilateral FacetFuse® transfacet pedicle screws versus bilateral or unilateral pedicle screw-rod construct

Achieving optimal immediate stability is crucial in lumbar fusion surgeries. Traditionally, four pedicle screws have been utilized to provide posterior stability at the L5-S1 level. However, the use of bilateral transfacet pedicle screws (TFPS) as an alternative construct has shown promising results in terms of biomechanical stability. This research paper investigates the biomechanical stability of TFPS with a lag design in comparison to equivalent-sized unilateral or bilateral fully threaded pedicle screw-rod (PSR) constructs at the L5-S1 disc level. The study assesses the immediate stability achieved by these constructs which have clinical implications in achieving lumbar segment fusion. We hypothesized that bilateral TFPS will yield immediate lumbar fixation that is comparable to unilateral or bilateral PSR constructs.