Post-trauma scoliosis after conservative treatment of thoracolumbar spinal fracture in children and adolescents: results in 48 patients.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Authors examined a case series of patients younger than 18 years old who had sustained a traumatic thoracolumbar spine fracture to evaluate radiological and clinical findings of coronal spinal balance, after conservative treatment. METHODS: From 1996 to 2014, a tricentric cohort of 48 patients with an average age of 12 years was radiographically reviewed at 50 months. Cobb angle of fractured vertebra and regional Cobb angle were measured both at baseline and follow-up. Analyses were done according to initial Risser grade, number of fractures and level of injury. RESULTS: There was a total of 11 scoliosis. In group with Risser grade 3 or above, with a single vertebral fracture and lumbar fracture, final regional Cobb angle was statistically higher than initial regional Cobb angle. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of scoliosis in our population is higher than those of idiopathic scoliosis; Risser grade 3 or above, lumbar fracture and a single fracture seem to account for more severe coronal deformation.