[Radiological outcomes of unstable thoraco-lumbar fractures without neurological deficit treated through percutaneous surgery]

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the radiological outcomes in the long term of unstable thoracic and lumbar fractures treated through percutaneous surgery.

Material and methods: Retrospective review of a series of patients with unstable thoracic and lumbar fractures treated with percutaneous minimally invasive surgery between 2010 and 2015 in three different hospital centres. Six radiological parameters were measured annually during a 2-year period: Fracture angle, kyphotic deformity, sagittal index, percentage of compression, degree of displacement and deformation angle.

Results: A total of 37 patients were included with a median age of 41.3 years and a median follow-up period of 2.2 years. Fracture angle rose from 14.8° to 17.1° (increase of 15.54%), kyphotic deformity from 15.9° to 17.7° (increase of 11.32%), sagittal index from 10.1 to 12.3 (increase of 21.78%), percentage of compression from 32.7% to 36.8% (increase of 12.53%), degree of displacement from 3.0mm to 4.4mm (increase of 50%) and deformation angle from 20.7° to 22.9° (increase of 10.62%).

Conclusions: All the radiological parameters studied lost correction throughout the 24 months of follow-up; the degree of displacement and the sagittal index were the most marked. Nevertheless, the greatest loss of correction occurred in the first postoperative year, the parameters then stabilised over the 24 months of follow up. We routinely recommend the measurement of all previous parameters for the follow up of unstable thoracic and lumbar fractures treated through percutaneous surgery.

Keywords: Cifosis; Cirugía percutánea; Columna torácica y lumbar; Instrumentación; Instrumentation; Kyphosis; Percutaneous surgery; Thoracic and lumbar spine.