OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeautic effect of damage control orthopaedics (DCO) applicated to thoracolumbar burst fracture complicated with severe polytrauma.

METHODSTwenty-one patients with severe polytrama including 15 males and 6 females with an average age of 40-years-old ranging from 20 to 60 years, were treated by immediate fluid resuscitation and emergency simple operation so as to control the bleeding and contamination. According to Frankel grade of spinal nerves function, 3 cases were grade A, 3 were grade B, 9 were grade C, 6 were grade D. Ten cases were performed to open abdominal operation, 6 cases underwent closed negative pressure drainage thorough chest, 2 cases with lung rupture were treated by repairing operation. During operation, 9 cases were treated with by external fixation and 5 cases were skeletal traction or external fixation with plaster support for extremities fractures. After emergency operation, the patients were transported into surgical intensive care unit (SICU), and corrected the hypothermia, acidosis and coagulation. The definitive thoracolumbar operation was performed between 5 to 7 days as soon as the vital signs became stable.

RESULTSAmong 21 cases, trauma hemorrhagic shock was corrected rapidly in 18 cases and 3 cases died in 4 to 26 hours. The survival rate was about 85.7% (18/21). Eighteen patients were followed up for 6 to 14 months with an average of 10 months. According to Frankel grading, 3 cases were grade A, 2 cases were grade B, 3 cases were grade C, 3 cases were grade D, 7 cases were grade E.

CONCLUSIONIt may increase the therapy achievement rate excellently and decrease the disabled rate that performing damage control orthopaedics (DCO) timely, relifing the compression on the spinal cord and re-establishing the stability of spinal column as early as possible.