3D-printed drill guide versus fluoroscopic-guided free-hand technique for pedicle screw insertion in the upper cervical spine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

3D-printed (3DP) drill guides have demonstrated significant potential to accurately guide pedicle screw insertion in spinal surgery. However, their role in the upper cervical spine is not well established. This review aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 3DP drill guides to the conventional fluoroscopic-guided free-hand technique for pedicle screw insertion in the upper cervical spine. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five databases (Medline, Scopus, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Embase). The meta-analysis compared the accuracy of pedicle screw placement, screw placement time, operative time, blood loss, fluoroscopy usage, and post-operative JOA and VAS scores between the two approaches. Seven studies were included in the review, encompassing 386 patients and 1,512 screws. The meta-analysis demonstrated that 3DP drill guides increased the rate of perfect screw insertion (OR: 4.34, P < 0.00001) and lowered the incidence of moderate (OR: 0.26, P < 0.00001) and poor (OR: 0.09, P < 0.00001) screw insertion compared to the free-hand technique. Additionally, operative time (MD: -36.07, P < 0.00001), blood loss (MD: -83.82, P < 0.00001), and fluoroscopy usage (MD: -3.47, P < 0.0001) was significantly reduced in the 3DP cohort. No significant difference was detected in screw placement time (MD: -2.65, P = 0.07), or post-operative JOA (MD: 0.17, P = 0.47), and VAS (MD: -0.09, P = 0.19) scores between the two cohorts. The review demonstrated that 3DP drill guides are a safe and effective tool to assist pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine.