• PURPOSE
    • Biomechanical analysis of Ponte (PO) and pedicle subtraction osteotomies (PSO) in kyphotic deformity instrumentation.
  • METHODS
    • Patient-specific biomechanical model was used to computationally simulate seven hyperkyphotic instrumentation cases with three osteotomy strategies-1-level PSO, 3-level PO, or 6-level PO; forces within the instrumented spine were assessed and results were analyzed through rANOVA tests.
  • RESULTS
    • Corrections with multi-level PO were close to those with one-level PSO. In upright position, average implant forces were from 225 to 280 N and rod bending moments were around 10 Nm with no significant difference between the three strategies (p < 0.05). In simulations of 30° flexion, rod bending moments increased by 38, 2, and 8 %, implant forces increased by 28, 23 and 26 % for the 1-level PSO, 3-level PO, and 6-level PO, respectively. Correction per vertebral level was smaller than the maximum correction allowed by PO and PSO.
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • Multi-level PO allows similar kyphotic correction to 1-level PSO in spinal deformities with mixed indications for PO and PSO. Loads on the instrumentation constructs in PSO were higher than multi-level PO and higher in 6-level PO than 3-level PO. High loads were located more on the osteotomy sites. The rod shape should be adapted to the anticipated spine correction on the osteotomy sites.