Practical treatment of uncomplicated compression fractures of the vertebrae: Preliminary report

Abstract

A short historic review of the progress of the treatment of compression fractures of the vertebrae has been presented. An effective method of treatment so far unreported in American literature, laying stress on maintenance of reduction through muscle training, has been outlined. Twenty-five patients have been treated using this method and six, with end results and clinical course, have been presented. We believe it is a form of treatment which can be applied to most patients with simple compression fractures of the vertebrae regardless of physical make-up or age, and which almost entirely eliminates uncomfortable casts or braces. It seems worthy of note that all but two of twenty-five patients so treated had no residual pain or disability. Seven of these patients were compensation cases. All seven were returned to duty within six months without permanent disability. These twenty-five patients have been followed up for nine months to four and a half years and have remained symptom-free. Two patients treated in the past two years have continued to complain of back pain. One has symptoms highly suggestive of an extruded disc which is now under investigation. Reduction and healing of the fracture was satisfactory. The other was a sixty-eight year old woman with extreme hypertrophic arthritis and a compression fracture of D 11 and D 12. Reduction and healing of the fractures has been satisfactory but pain in the sacroiliac region has persisted. We do not believe that the method of treatment is responsible for the disability in either case. In our hands this method of treating uncomplicated fractures of the spine has been far superior to anything previously employed. It is realized that no conclusions can be drawn from so small a series. It is hoped that it will be tried on larger series of patients so that its virtue or faults can be more exactly evaluated.