The Relationship between Progression of Body Collapse and MRI Findings in Osteoporotic Stable Thoracolumbar Fractures

PURPOSE: To find out the relationship between the initial Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) findings and the progression of vertebra collapse when treated with Jewett brace in osteoporotic stable thoracolumbar fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We divided 38 cases of 37 patients of thoracolumbar osteoporotic stable thoracolumbar fractures who were treated with Jewett brace into two groups. One group was composed of those body collapse progressed more than 10% compared with the initial state, and the other group less than 10%. We analyzed the relationships between the progression of collapse and the superior endplate fractures, the fracture line extending to posterior cortex, the size of bone marrow edema, the signal intensity on T1 and T2 weighted MR images, the presence of paravertebral hematoma, and the degree of posterior extensor muscle atrophy using MR images. RESULTS: The body collapse was more likely to progress when there was superior endplate fracture, when it showed larger size of bone marrow edema on T1 weighted image, and transverse low signal on T2 weighted image. But extending of fracture line to posterior cortex, presence of paravertebral hematoma, and degree of posterior extensor muscle atrophy did not show any statistical correlations to progression of collapse. CONCLUSION: The body collapse is more likely to progress when there was superior endplate fracture, larger low signal on T1 weighted image and low signal on T2 weighted image at initial MRI treated with Jewett brace.

The Factors that Affect the Deformity Correction of Vertebral Body during Kyphoplasty of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture

PURPOSE: To study which factors affect the deformity correction of vertebral body during kyphoplasty procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were treated with balloon kyphoplasty from October 2006 to May 2007. Lateral radiographs were taken at 5 different stages with preoperative lateral decubitus position, after placing the patient in prone position on an operation table, after inflating balloon, after deflation and removal of the balloon, after inserting the cement. Then we analyzed the compression ratios and kyphotic angles of the vertebral bodies in each stage. RESULTS: Placing the patient in prone position showed significant postural reduction in kyphotic angle and restorement of the anterior and middle body height. The inflation of the balloon demonstrated significant reduction of kyphotic angle and restorement of the anterior and middle body height. After the deflation, anterior and middle body height has decreased significantly. After the deflation, the kyphotic angle and the anterior and middle body heights were not restored signigicantly compared with those of initial prone position. CONCLUSION: Vertebral height and kyphotic angle were partially recovered by inflating the balloon, but the correction was lost after deflating the balloon. Statistically, the body deformity was not restored significantly after deflating the balloon compared with that of intraoperative prone position. Therefore, we concluded that, in kyphoplasty of osteoporotic compression fractures, the postural reduction is the most important factor in deformity correction of fractured vertebral bodies.

Temporal Lobectomy and Hematoma Removal for Large Hemorrhage of the Basal Ganglia

Severe hemorrhage of the basal ganglia is usually associated with massive surrounding edema, and even after removal of the hematoma, edema persists for as long as several weeks and exerts an additional deleterious effect on the recovery from the ictus. To determine whether the provision of intracranial space will improve the outcome, we performed temporal lobectomy in addition to hematoma removal and compared the result with hematoma removal only. Over a three-year period from January 1993 to March 1996, we encountered 476 cases of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and of these, 52 with severe hemorrhage of the basal ganglia were selected for this study. On admission, the neurological status of these 52 patients was very poor or progressively deteriorating, and all underwent surgical intervention. They were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure : hematoma removal with temporal lobectomy(Group I) and hematoma removal only(Group II). GCS score at discharge, GOS score, Barthel index and mortality were compared between the two groups. In overall comparison of GCS score at discharge, GOS score, rate of persistent vegetative state, and death rate between the two groups, there was no significant difference, but among patients with a GCS score 6 and below, this score was higher and the rate of persistent vegetative state and death were lower in Group I than in Group II(p<0.05). Among those with a GCS score of above 6, there was no difference between the two groups. We conclude that for patients whose neurological status is poor(GCS score 6 and below), the benefit of temporal lobectomy in addition to hematoma removal is greater than that of hematoma removal alone.