ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Traditional open surgery will do great damage to the patients with thoracolumbar fractures, and easily induces local degeneration. In contrast, the novel method is minimally invasive, which contributes to the functional recovery of the spine.OBJECTIVE: To discuss the essential procedures and precautions in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.METHODS: Twenty-seven cases of single-level thoracolumbar fractures without spinal neurological deficits treated with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation were selected. The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were observed. The Visual Analogue Scale scores during axial turning at baseline and 3 days postoperatively, and the Visual Analogue Scale scores of the operation region at 1 and 3 days postoperatively were detected, respectively.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Twenty-seven patients with 108 vertebrae underwent percutaneous pedicle screw fixation under the guidance of the needle, the puncture was smooth, 98 vertebrae was punctured successfully once, and 10 vertebrae were punctured successfully twice. (2) The Visual Analogue Scale scores during axial turning at 3 days postoperatively were significantly lower than those at baseline, and the scores of the operation region at 3 days postoperatively were significantly lower than those at 1 day postoperatively (P < 0.001). (3) The mean operation time was (109±18) minutes, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was (60±16) mL. (4) There were no nerve root injury and other complications. (5) Our results indicate that percutaneou pedicle screw fixation is a minimally invasive and safe method to treat the patients suffering single-level thoracolumbar fractures without spinal neurological deficits.