A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SHORT SEGMENT POSTERIOR FIXATION WITH INDEX SCREWS VERSUS LONG SEGMENT POSTERIOR FIXATION FOR THORACOLUMBAR SPINE FRACTURE: A STUDY OF 60 CASES

Abstract

Background: Nearly 90% of traumatic spine injuries are Thoracolumbar spine fractures. Treatment options included posterior xation short segment with index screw or long segment posterior xation which is often debatable. the study aim to to compare between short-segment xation with screws into index level and long-segment xation in maintaining angle of correction and pain. A Methods: prospective study included 60 patients, who underwent posterior xation and had single-level thoracolumbar fracture with Cobb's angle ≤ 25°. 27 patients underwent shortsegment xation with screws into the index level, and 33 patients underwent long-segment xation with skipped index level. Patients followed up for 1 year and the angle of correction, pain, and neurological state were regularly assessed. 27 patients (45%) had short segment with index Results: screw and 33 (55%) had long-segment xation. In the short segment group, the pre-operative mean Cobb's angle was 19.4° ± 3.43° and the angle of correction was 8.35° ± 1.80° after 1 year, while in the long segment group, the pre-operative mean Cobb's angle was 19.16° ± 4.20° and the angle of correction was 8.60° ± 2.59° after 1 year. Regarding pain, in the short segment group, the pre-operative visual analog scale (VAS) was 6.59 ± 2.19 that was reduced to 1.46 ± 0.54 at the 1 year follow-up, while the long segment group VAS was 6.4 ± 2.12 pre-operatively that was reduced to 1.48 ± 0.55 at 1 year follow up. with Short-segment xation for single level thoracolumbar tra Conclusions: umatic fracture with lower complication, less tissue trauma, less blood loss and faster pain relief compare to long segment xation with insignicant difference in correction of kyphotic angle.