Comparative Analysis of 3D-Printed Drill Guides and Minimally Invasive Osteosynthesis in Feline Sacroiliac Luxation: A Cadaveric Study

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a 3D-printed drill guide technique (3D-DGT) in facilitating sacroiliac screw placement in feline cadavers with sacroiliac luxation (SIL), compared with minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO). Additionally, the accuracy and precision of implant placement in relation to preoperative planning were evaluated.Bilateral SIL was created in 14 feline cadavers, followed by preoperative CT scans. For both techniques, preoperative planning was performed, and 2.4-mm screws were implanted. Postoperative CT scans were then performed to evaluate screw placement accuracy, entry point translation (EPT), and the maximum angular screw deviation (MASD) in dorsal and transverse planes.In the lateral plane, the median (IQR) EPT (in mm) with MIO significantly differed from that with 3D-DGT on the y-axis (dorsoventral direction) from the planned entry location (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 42.5, Z = -2.55, <i>p</i> = 0.009). However, no significant differences were noted on the x-axis (craniocaudal direction) from the planned entry location (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 60, Z = -1.76, <i>p</i> = 0.08). Median (IQR) MASD did not differ significantly between MIO and 3D-DGT in either dorsal or transverse planes (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 77, Z = -0.98, <i>p</i> = 0.34; U = 64, Z = -1.57, <i>p</i> = 0.12, respectively).The use of 3D-DGT lead to fewer suboptimal placements compared with MIO (7.14% versus 42.85%), though the difference was not statistically significant.