PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical features and radiographical landmarks of patients who has a thoracolumbar fracture combined with posterior ligament complex injury retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS The preoperative plain radiographys, axial CT, MRI and medical records of 27 patients were reviewed who were confirmed the posterior ligament complex injury in operation from January, 2002. to December, 2004. RESULTS The patients were from 15 years to 75 years of age (mean 39.1 years), 20 males and 7 females. The mechanisms of injury were 17 falls from a height, 7 traffic accidents and 3 direct blow injuries. There were 17 cases (63%) in thoracolumbar transitional zone, such as 11 cases in T11-T12, 6 cases T12-L1. There were 9 cases of compression fracture and 18 cases of burst fracture according to the shape of fractured vertebra. In the plain radiograph, the degree of kyphotic angle was between 6~49 degrees (mean 22 degrees), anterior vertebral height loss was 7~70% (mean 39%), and posterior vertebral height loss was 0~8% (mean 3%). 21 cases (78%) were the anterior vertebral height loss below 50%, 23 cases (85%) were the degree of kyphotic angle below 30 degrees. Neurological deficits were not registered. 23 cases (85%) were positive in MRI and 24 cases (89%) were positive in direct focal tenderness in the view of posterior ligament complex injury. Conclusions: The posterior ligament complex injury is common finding of the thoracolumbar fracture. The high resolution MRI findings and direct focal tenderness are very importance in identifying the posterior ligament complex injury that is important prognostic factor particularly in mild anterior vertebral height loss and mild kyphotic angle in the plain radiograph.
PURPOSE To evaluate the differences of associated factors in thoracolumbar fractures according to the mechanism of injury, level and type of the fracture, associated injuries were investigated for comparison between injuries by fall from height and by in-car accident injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medical records and X-ray findings of 249 patients with fractures of thoracolumbar spine were reviewed retrospectively. Among them, 169 patients were injured by the two main causes. McAfee classification was adopted to determine the type of fracture. Associated injuries were classified as head and neck, chest and abdomen, pelvis, proximal and distal extremity, and neurologic deficit. Statistical analysis using Chi-square method was used for comparison between the two groups. RESULTS In overall patients, the most common cause of thoracolumbar fracture was fall from height (44.6%) followed by in-car accident (23.3%) and fall down (16.9%). In fall-from height gruoup, burst fracture was the most common (44.1%) while flexion-distraction injury was the most popular (39.7%) in in-car accident group (p=0.05). Comparison according to height of fall showed significant increase of multiple fractures (p=0.0326). Associated injuries of distal lower and upper extremities and pelvis were common in fall-from-height group, while injuries of head and neck, proximal part of upper extremity, chest and abdomen were common in in-car accident patients. CONCLUSION Type of fracture and distribution of associated injuries were significantly different between the two main causes of thoracolumbar injury, which seemed to be useful for understanding the mechanical events of injury and detecting associated injuries in each victim.
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PURPOSE To compare clinical and radiological results between vertebroplasty and conservative treatment in osteoporotic compression fractures of thoracolumbar spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS 34 patients were reviewed with at least 1 year follow up. Vertebroplasty was used in 14 and conservative treatment was done in 20 fractures. These groups were compared by clinical results which were evaluated by the scoring system according to pain, mobility and analgesic usage at preoperative, postoperative 1 month and postoperative 1 year. And also compared by the increment of kyphosis and loss of vertebral body height in lateral films at the same time. We compared duration of hospitalization between two groups. RESULTS Vertebroplasty group showed statistically significant less pain and mobility than conservative treatment (p<0.05), but there was no differences in analgesic usage at postoperative 1 year while significant difference at 1 month. In radiological comparison, vertebroplasty showed less increment of kyphosis and loss of body height significantly (p<0.05). Also vertebroplasty group had shorter hospitalization stay significantly (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Our retrospective analysis demonstrated that vertebroplasty provided significant pain relief, improvement of motion and reduction of analgesic usage and also provided considerable spinal stabilization that prevented further kyphosis and collapse.
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PURPOSE To assess diagnostic efficacy of the MRI in thoracolumbar fractures, especially in changes of bone and soft tissue which cannot be documented by other diagnostic tools. MATERIALS AND METHODS Among 85 patients managed for thoracolumbar fractures between January 1997 and June 2003, MRI was performed in 30 patients to get more informations. Plain X-ray, CT and MRI of these cases were reviewed retrospectively by two orthopaedic spine surgeons and one radiologist to investigate the informations which only MRI could afford. RESULTS 14 (46.7%) among 30 patients had occult fractures of vertebrae other than main fracture which had not been diagnosed as fractured. Besides 6 patients who showed distraction of posterior structure on plain X-ray, injury of posterior ligament complex was confirmed by MRI in 12(40%) patients. Additionally, MRI visualized other soft tissue injuries such as intramuscular and subcutaneous hematoma, changes of the spinal cord and intervertebral disc. In 16 among 30 patients, informations achieved from MRI were the most important factors in deciding treatment modality. CONCLUSION MRI seems to be efficient in visualizing not only soft tissue injury such as ligament but also occult fractures of additional vertebra in thoracolumbar fractures, therefore MRI seems to be an important diagnostic tool in decision of treatment modalities, especially in cases of uncertain stability.
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