Thoracolumbar burst fracture with another spinal fracture.

ABSTRACT

From January 1985 to May 1988, thirty-six patients with thoracolumbar burst fracture were treated and nine of these (25%) were associated with another burst fracture or wedge compression fracture. The etiology of injury was a fall from a height in four patients, motorcycle accident in three, and elevator crushing and house crushing in each of the other two patients respectively. The neurological implications were caused by the main burst fractures, and L1 was the most involved segment of the main burst fracture (44.4%). All three patients had associated wedge compression fracture, as well as three patients who had associated burst fracture, found adjacent to the main burst fracture. The remaining three associated burst fractures were found at a distant level to the main burst fracture.