Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Trauma - Spine
Abstract number: 25882
SEGMENTAL SPINE INSTRUMENTATION IN THORACOLUMBAR AND LUMBAR
FRACTURES - 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Sofia FERNANDES, Rui CERQUEIRA, José FRAGA, Tiago BARBOSA, Joăo
OLIVEIRA, António MOREIRA
Centro Hospitalar do Alto Ave - Guimarăes, Guimarăes (PORTUGAL)
Introduction: Thoracolumbar and lumbar fractures are serious lesions associated with
neurological deficits. The study objective is to retrospectively analyze the functional
outcome of segmental spine instrumentation of unstable thoracolumbar and lumbar
fractures. Material and Methods: This retrospective study included 70 patients (49
men and 21 female) with acute unstable thoracolumbar and lumbar fractures,
between January 1996 and December 2007 treated with segmental instrumentation
(61 with transpedicular fixation and 9 sublaminar wiring fixation). The medium age
was 38 years and time of follow up was 76 months. The fractures were mostly L1.
The injuries were evaluated with the Thoraco-Lumbar Injury Classification and
Severity Score (TLICS) and the patients with the Oswetry Disability Index (ODI).
Results: The majority of lesions (71,4%) resulted from a fall from height and mostly
only 1 vertebra was affected. The angle of kyphosis was on average 22.1º. Vertebral
body was completed restored in 48 cases. TLICS was 5 in 25,7%, 6 in 21,4%, 7 in
11,4%, 8 in 11,4% and 9 in 8,6%. 55,7% patients had no neurologic lesions; 7,1%
nerve root, 14,3% incomplete and 20% complete cord lesion and 2,9% with cauda
equina. 71,4% patients returned to work. According to the ODI 36 patients had 20-
40%, 7 >40-60% and 6 >80%. Discussion: Work status correlated directly with
neurological impairment but not to injury level or mechanism. Although the important
trauma experienced by these patients, return to work and results in the ODI were
good.
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