Surgical Decompression and Stabilization with Instrumentation in Theoracolumbar and Lumbar Spine Fracture

ABSTRACT

Twenty patients with a major thoracolumbar or lumbar spine fractures were treated with various kinds of internal fixation device through anterior or posterior approach during last 2 years. Anterior spinal surgery(10 patients) applied to the patients who had a major fracture of anterior compartment with neural canal impingement and condisted of anterior decompression through vertebrectomy and stabilization with Kaneda device. Posterior spinal surgery(9 patients) applied to mainly posterior compartment injury and consisted of stabilization with Harrington instrument(3 patients) and Roy-Camille plate system(6 patients). The other one patient was treated with a combined approach of anterior decompression and posterior Harrington instrumentation. No patients showed neurological deterioration after surgery and 15 patients(75%) improved postoperatively with entering the next Frankel subgroup. Radiologic evaluation showed the correction of the fracture deformity with satisfactory outcome postoperatively. There was no significant difference between anterior and posterior spinal surgery regarding operative result.