ABSTRACT
Objective To discuss the causes of failure of transpedicular screw fixation in treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods A retrospective analysis was done to analyze the failure causes of 24 patients (15 males and 9 females) who received pedicle screw fixation for their thoracolumbar fractures from June 2002 to June 2008 in our department. There were two patients with delayed infection, eight with pedicle screw breakage, one with connecting rod breakage, 10 with internal fixation loosening (including nut loosening) and three with poor screw position. Results All patients received reo-perations including removal of internal fixation plus debridement and lavage in two patients, simple removal of internal fixation in nine patients, removal of inter fixation and posterior fusion in two, replacement of the lengthened fixation plus posterior fusion in nine, and adjustment of the position and orientation of screw in two. All patients were followed up for 6-18 months (average 11 months) , which showed no any complications. Conclusion Improper surgical indication or approach, ineffective fusion, incorrect postoperative rehabilitation exercise, too late removal of the screws and improper surgical operation are main causes for failure of internal fixation.