The results of transpedicular fixation of unstable thoracolumbar vertebral fractures

Betvveen April 1990 and May 1997, 101 patients with unstable thoracolumbar vertebral fractures were treated operatively. The mean follow-up was 27 (3-66) months. There were 70 men and 31 women. The mean age was 35.9 (18-69) years. Etiology was falling from a height in most of them (56.4%). The delay from the original trauma to the presentation ranged from 2 hours to 7 days. First lumbar vertebra was affected mostly (35.5%). According to the Deniş classification, there were 94 burst fractures, 22 compression fractures, 4 fracture-dislocations and one seat-belt injury. Fiftynine patients had Frankel type E, and 14 had Frankel type A neurologic status. The me- dium angle of local kyphosis was 24° and the percentage of anterior compression was 40.7%. The percentage of average spinal canal involvement was 44.5%. The average time after the trauma till the operation was 4.5 days (6 hrs-20 days). The mean operative time was 135 minutes and 2.8 units of whole blood transfusion was used on the average, intraoperatively. Postoperative bracing was applied to ali of the patients. One CSF fistula, two su- perficial infections and one pressure sore were noted as early complications. Eighteen patients with neurologic deficits had partial, and two patients had full recovery. 394 transpedicular screvvs vvere used and there vvere 31 (7.8%) bent screvvs, 9 (2.2%) screvv breakages and 19 (4.8%) screvv migrations. Transpedicular fixation was found to be an effective method for thoracolumbar vertebral fracture surgery.