Treatment of thoracalumbar fractures with posterior short segment peg-stick system plus pedicle screw fixation

Abstract

Objective To investigate the value of posterior short segment peg-stick system plus pediele screw fixation in treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods There were 38 patients invol-ving fractures at Tn in three patients, at T_(12) in 11, at L_1 in 15 and at L_2 in nine. There were three pa-tients with simple fractures of vertebral compression, 35 with burst fractures, 33 with thoracolumbar frac-tures combined with paraplegia. The patients with simple fracture of vertebral compression were treated by posterior short-segment peg-stick system plus pedicle screw fixation. While the patients with paraplegia and intraspinal occupancy were treated by posterior decompression, vertebral enlargement and bone graft-ing (between zygopophysis and transverse process) after fixation. Results All patients received a fol-low-up for average 14.5 months, which showed accurate position of pedicle screw and fine contour of the injured vertebra after reduction, with no loosening or breakage of fixators, chronic lumbar pain or loss of the height of fractured vertebra. Of all, 33 patients were accompanied by paresis. There was one patient at Grade A, six at Grade B, 16 at Grade C and nine at Grade D before operation. But there was one pa-tient at Grade A, one at Grade B, five at Grade C, 10 at Grade D and 16 at Grade E. Conclusions For thoracolumbar fractures especially vertebral burst fractures, posterior short segment speg-stick system plus pedicle screw fixation is an ideal treatment method, for it has the following advantages: no obvious loss of the height of the vertebra after operation, protection of the intact intervertebral disc under the in-jured vertebra and minor effect on range of motion of the lumbar vertebrae. Key words: Spinal fractures; Thoracic vertebrae; Lumbar vertebrae; Fracture fixation, internal