PEDICLE PROBE

Indications & Use

• • Pedicle Tract Preparation: To safely create and expand a pilot channel through the pedicle and into the vertebral body prior to threading and inserting pedicle screws.
• • Trajectory Planning: To establish the exact anatomical angle (medial/lateral and cranio-caudal) required for optimal screw placement in the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine.
• • Cortical Integrity Verification: Utilized to physically "feel" the pathway; the blunt tip follows the path of least resistance through soft cancellous bone, helping the surgeon confirm that the rigid cortical walls of the pedicle have not been breached.
• • Spinal Instrumentation: An essential step in posterior spinal fusions, allowing for the subsequent placement of rods, plates, and bone grafts to stabilize the spine.
• • Associated Clinical Conditions
• • Spinal instability requiring rigid fixation
• • Spondylolisthesis (vertebral displacement)
• • Severe degenerative disc disease (DDD)
• • Spinal deformities (e.g., scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis)
• • Spinal trauma, including burst fractures or dislocations
• • Spinal tumors or infections necessitating vertebral resection and reconstruction

Care & Sterilisation

Rinse the instrument immediately after use to prevent blood and bone marrow from drying, particularly around the tip and the junction where the shaft meets the handle. Use only pH-neutral enzymatic detergents. Avoid highly acidic or alkaline solutions that can corrode the stainless steel or degrade synthetic handle materials. Clean manually using soft-bristled nylon brushes. Never use abrasive pads or steel wool, which can scratch the shaft and erase the laser-etched depth markings. Pay special attention to any crevices on ergonomic handles (e.g., silicone grips or T-handles) to ensure no microscopic biological debris remains trapped. Sterilization The instrument is fully autoclavable. Standard steam sterilization is recommended at 134°C (273°F) for 3 to 5 minutes using a pre-vacuum cycle. If the probe features a synthetic or silicone handle, ensure it is allowed to cool naturally and is thoroughly dried post-sterilization to prevent moisture damage or material breakdown. Inspection & Maintenance Carefully inspect the working tip under magnification before and after every use. Any bending, burrs, or unintended blunting compromises trajectory accuracy and the instrument must be retired. Verify the visibility of the depth calibrations along the shaft. If the laser-etched lines have faded or become illegible, the probe can no longer safely guide screw length and should be replaced. Test the handle for structural integrity. The shaft must be rigidly anchored to the grip; any rotational play, looseness, or cracking severely degrades the critical tactile feedback required by the surgeon.