Anterior Instrumentation and Fusion in Thoracolumbar Fractures
10.4055/jkoa.1988.23.1.157
- Author:
Yung Tae KIM
;
Jai Gon SEO
;
Joong Myung LEE
;
Sung Bum YANG
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Anterior instrumentation;
Thoracolumbar fractures
- MeSH:
Accidental Falls;
Accidents, Traffic;
Fractures, Compression;
Methods;
Miners;
Spinal Canal;
Spinal Fractures;
Transplants
- From:The Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
1988;23(1):157-164
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
With improvement of anterior fixation devices, anterior instrumentation-fusion in treatment of thoracolumbar fracture becomes as effective as posterior interbody fusion which has mainly been used up to now. Also, computerized tomography enables us to diagnose the spinal fracture accurately including retropulsive bony fragment and degree of narrowing of spinal canal. We analyzed 18 cases which were treated with anterior interbody fixation in thoracolumbar fracture from Mar. 1977 to Oct. 1986 in Orthopaedic dept. of National Medical Center. The results were as follows ; 1. The mechanism of injury involved falling down in 7 cases, traffic accident 5 cases, and miner injury in 4 cases. 2. The clsssification of fracture by Denis method was compression fracture in 4 cases, bursting fracture in 11 cases, Seat-belt injury in 1 case, Fx-dislocation in 2 cases. 3. The methods of internal fixation were iliac bone graft only in 8 cases, anterior Harrington rod in 2 cases, Webb implant in 6 cases, and Zielke rod in 2 cases. 4. The average preoperative kyphotic angulation was 19.5(range 10 to 22) and immediate postoperative angulation was 10.1(range 2–16). The correction rate was 48%, and the loss of correction was 2.8(range 2–13). The final correction rate was 38.1% with implants, 29.1% without implants. 5. Early operation can get better neurologic recovery. 6. Firm and stsble fixation device is needed.
