Pedicle screw reduction and fixation for thoracolumbar fractures via or not the injured vertebra:a comparative study

Abstract

Objective To compare the clinical curative effect of pedicle screw reduction and fix-ation via or not the injured vertebra in treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods A retrospective study was performed on 27 patients with single thoracolumbar fractures admitted from March 2006 to Feb-ruary 2008. There were 12 patients treated with pedicle screw fixation (Group A) and 15 with traditional two-level fixation (Group B). Group A involved 11 males and 5 females, aged average 43 years (25-56 years); Group B included 10 males and 5 females, aged from 23 to 61 years (mean 42 years). All pa-tients had fresh fractures with intact pedicles on either unilateral or bilateral sides. With body position re-duction under anesthesia, the patients in Group B were treated with posterior routine distraction and lordo-sis restoration, while those in Group A were treated with the methods used in Group B as well as pedicle screw reduction and fixation. The kyphosis (Cobb angle) and recovery of injured vertebral height were observed. Results The mean follow-up period was 9 months (6-22 months). After operation, the op-timal Cobb angle and anterior column restoration were achieved through the ventral reduction from the in-jured vertebral body. The degree in anterior movement of injured vertebrae pre- and post-operatively was (0.089±0.036)° in Group A and (0.023±0.048)° in Group B, with statistical difference (P < 0.01). Cobb angle was (9.88±7.69)° in Group A and (5.19±3.24)° in Group B (P < 0.05). Changes of distance between the anterior- upper edge of the cephalad vertebrae to the anterior - lower edge of the caudal vertebral body was (39.3±5.2) % in Group A and (20.6±6.5)% in Group B (P < 0.05). Over distraction of the contiguous discs was also avoided efficiently. Conclusions Selective pedicle screw fixation into the injured vertebrae can help correct the kyphosis and maintain the reduction and en-hance the stiffness of the posterior short-segment instrumentation in single thoracolumbar fractures. Key words: Spinal fractures; Thoracic vertebrae; Lumbar vertebrae; Screws