Rod Contouring, Passage, and Connection

Despite being a somewhat trite topic at first glance, most surgeons familiar with minimally invasive posterior spinal fixation know that contouring, passing, and connecting rods can be a challenging and cumbersome step in these procedures. This was particularly the case with the first generation of MIS instrumentation. Short-segment percutaneous posterior fixation (i.e., monosegmental or bisegmental) for various indications – primarily fractures – could be accomplished without special instruments or modifications of implants [1]. However, the advent of advance MIS techniques required the development of specially designed instruments to accomplish multi-level screw-rod fixation [2].