The role of thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score in the gudience of anterior, posterior or combined surgery for thoracolumbar fractures / 中国综合临床

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the guidance role and effect of the thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS) in the choice of anterior,posterior or combined surgery for thoracolumbar fractures.Methods Thirty-one consecutive patients with acute thoracolumbar burst fractures who were treated in an our unit were selected as our subjects who hospitalized from Oct.2006 to Sep 2010,There were 20 male and 11 female patients.The average age was 44.7 years (range from 35.0 to 56.0 of all patients 3 was injured T11,6 at T12,7 at L1,8 at L 2 and 7 at L3.The reasons of injury include motor vehicle accident (10 cases)and falling from a height (24).All patients had preoperative anteroposterior and lateral radiographs,computed tomography (CT) scan,and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination to more fully assess vertebral pieces and nerve compression.According to the Classification of Maged,there were 8 cases with type A3,8 cases with B1,9 cases with B2,3 cases with C1,3 case with C2.Neurologic status based on Frankel classification showed that 4 cases were with grade A 8 with grade B,9 with grade C 6 with grade D and 4 with grade E.Of the 31 patients,11 received posterior surgeries,12 anterior surgeries,and 8 combined anterior and posterior surgeries.Results Twenty-eight cases were followed up with averaged 13.7 months (range from 12.0-17.0 months).The kyphosis angle was measured from the superior endplate to the inferior end plate of the fractured vertebral body using the Cobb technique.The mean cobb's angle was (23.7 ± 11.3) ° (range,13.0 ～ 38.0°) preoperatively,(5.8 ± 0.6°) (-4.0 ～ 6.0) ° lordotic post operatively and (11.3 ± 10.6) ° lordotic at the final observation.The average surgical time was 190 minutes (range,90-380 minutes).and blood loss was 1680 ml (range,1260-2540 ml),and hospital stay was 17.4 days (range,10-24 days).No eloosening or motion was observed in the final follow-up patients.Conclusion TLICS has facilitate treatment decision making of thoracolumbar spinal column injuries and proved to be an effective treatment for serious thoracolumbar fracture.