Minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation versus open surgery for thoracolumbar fracture:Cobb’s angle and vertebral height

Fengfeng NIE; Yinghua ZHANG; Shouguo HUANG; Liang JU; Bo CHEN

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Open reduction and internal fixation cause big trauma and many complications. With the progression of minimal y invasive concept, percutaneous pedicle screw fixation gradual y showed its obvious superiority. ＜br>

OBJECTIVE:

To compare clinical outcomes of minimal y invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation versus open surgery in the treatment of thoracolumbar fracture. ＜br>

METHODS:

From October 2012 to January 2014, 50 cases of thoracolumbar fractures, including 25 cases in the minimal y invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group and 25 cases in the open surgery group, were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in length of skin incision, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperation hospital stay, and visual analog scale scores were compared. Serum creatine kinase activity and C-reactive protein levels were measured before surgery and at 24 and 48 hours after operation. Imaging results were used to observe vertebral height and kyphosis Cobb’s angle changes. ＜br> RESULTS AND

CONCLUSION:

Compared with the open surgery group, the length of skin incision was smal er and intraoperative blood loss was less, operation time, bed time and hospital stay were shorter, and pain of the wound was lighter in the minimal y invasive group. No significant difference was found in serum creatine kinase activity and C-reactive protein levels between the two groups. Serum creatine kinase activity and C-reactive protein levels were higher at 24 and 48 hours after treatment compared with before treatment in both groups. Serum creatine kinase activity and C-reactive protein levels were higher in the open surgery group than in the minimal y invasive group at 24 and 48 hours. There were significant differences in vertebral height and kyphosis Cobb’s angle in both groups after treatment compared with before treatment (P＜0.01). No significant difference in vertebral height and kyphosis Cobb’s angle was detected between the two groups after treatment (P>0.05). Results indicated that minimal y invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and open surgery in repair of thoracolumbar fractures had similar outcomes. However, the trauma of minimal y invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation was apparently less than open surgery.