Ten-year follow-up results of posterior instrumentation without fusion for traumatic thoracic and lumbar spine fractures.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aims to present and evaluate the long follow-up results of posterior instrumentation without fusion in patients with traumatic thoracic and lumbar fractures. METHODS: 45 patients were operated. The mean follow-up period was 147.6 months. Sagittal plane kyphosis (SPK) and anterior wedge angle (AWA) were evaluated in preoperative and follow-up. RESULTS: SPK and AWA improved significantly in the early postoperative. However, the correction was lost in the 10-year follow-up. The loss of correction was statistically significant in SPK and AWA. CONCLUSION: Posterior instrumentation without fusion is still among the most useful in treatment of traumatic thoracolumbar fractures.