Rodriguez-Arguisjuela M, Martin-Piñeiro B, Bobadilla CC, et al. - A nonrandomized, prospective, case-controlled clinical study was conducted to assess if the use of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-augmented screws is correlated with elevated lung injury in patients undergoing instrumented lumbar spinal fusion. Researchers enrolled a total of 50 consecutive individuals: 25 classified as patients who required PMMA-augmented screws in lumbar spinal fusion, and 25 classified as control participants because they had undergone uncemented instrumented spinal fusion. They did not distinguish a significant variation in urine desmosine levels correlated with the augmentation of fenestrated pedicle screws with PMMA. No clinical, analytical, or gasometric data indicating lung damage was found in patients who had augmentation, despite comparing patients age 75 years or older with a younger group.