[Posterior laceration of the abdominal aorta on vertebral fracture]. / Lacération postérieure de l'aorte abdominale sur fracture vertébrale.

Abdominal aortic lacerations are very rare in closed trauma and are usually caused by high energy trauma. Aortic injuries should be assessed as a priority as they present an immediate life-threatening risk in the event of major haemorrhage. However, the clinical presentations are highly variable and often misleading. We -present a case of traumatic blunt abdominal aortic laceration following a fall down the stairs. The laceration involved the posterior part of the abdominal aorta secondary to a lumbar fracture with L1-L2 disc tear.

Les lacérations de l'aorte abdominale sont très rares dans les traumatismes fermés et sont généralement causées par des traumatismes à haute énergie. Les lésions aortiques doivent être évaluées en priorité car elles présentent un risque vital immédiat en cas d'hémorragie majeure. Cependant, les présentations cliniques sont très variables et souvent trompeuses. Nous présentons un cas de lacération aortique abdominale traumatique suite à une chute dans les escaliers. La lacération intéresse la partie postérieure de l'aorte abdominale sur une fracture lombaire avec déchirure du disque L1-L2.

A new decompression technique for upper lumbar fracture with neurologic deficit-comparison with traditional open posterior surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is usually recommended for thoracolumbar fracture with neurologic deficit. However, traditional open posterior approach requires massive paraspinal muscles stripping, and the canal decompression may be limited and incomplete. We aimed to investigate a new approach via the Wiltse approach and the Kambin's Triangle. METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive patients with traumatic upper lumbar fracture who received this new approach surgery between January 2015 and January 2016 constituted the new approach group. Twenty-nine patients received the traditional open posterior surgery between January 2014 and January 2015 were classified as the traditional posterior surgery group. Surgical informations including operative time, blood loss, drainage volume, hospitalization days were collected and compared among the two groups. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale and Visual Analog Score (VAS) were evaluated preoperatively, postoperatively and at 12 months follow-up. RESULTS: Patients in the new approach group had fewer operation time (128.3 ± 25.1 vs 151 ± 32.2 min, P = 0.01), less blood loss (243.8 ± 135.5 vs 437.8 ± 224.9 ml, P = 0.001) and drainage volume (70.7 ± 57.2 vs 271.7 ± 95.5 ml, P < 0.001), as well as shorter hospitalization stay than the traditional posterior surgery group (6.6 ± 1.8 vs 8.5 ± 2.4 d, P = 0.004). Similar neurologic recovery according to ASIA grade was achieved in both groups (Recovery index: 0.90 ± 0.53 vs 0.86 ± 0.51, P = 0.778). While the pain level was significantly lower in the new approach group postoperatively (2.6 ± 0.7 vs 3.5 ± 0.9, P < 0.001) and at 12 months follow-up (1.4 ± 0.9 vs 2.4 ± 0.8, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present new approach was successfully applied in the treatment of upper lumbar fracture with neurologic deficit. It can reduce iatrogenic trauma and achieve similar or better outcomes compared to the traditional posterior surgery.

Management of fracture dorso-lumbar spine in a pregnant female by surgery in prone position.

Surgical management of thoraco-lumbar spine fracture in pregnancy has specific concerns during surgery like positioning, approach, and radiation exposure to fetus. We report a case of burst fracture of 12th thoracic vertebrae with paraplegia in a young female with 26 weeks of gestation. Surgery was performed in prone position on a Toronto frame. This report also discusses the management of thoraco-lumbar spine fracture in pregnancy with review of literature.

Thoraco-lumbar fractures with blunt traumatic aortic injury in adult patients: correlations and management.

PURPOSE: Traumatic thoraco-lumbar spine fracture spine with a concomitant blunt aortic injury is uncommon but potentially a fatal association. Our aim was to clarify: morphology of spinal fractures related to vascular damages and vice versa, diagnostic procedures and decision-making process for the best treatment options for spine and vessels. METHODS: We enrolled 42 cases culled from the literature and five personal ones, reviewing in detail by AO Spine Classification, Society of Vascular Surgery classification and Abbreviated Injury Scale for neurological evaluation. RESULTS: Most fractures were at T11-L2 (29 cases; 62%) and type C (17; 70%). 17 (38%) were neurological. Most common vascular damage was the rupture (20; 43%), followed by intimal tear (13; 28%) and pseudoaneurysm (9; 19%). Vascular injury often required open or endovascular repair before spinal fixation. Distraction developed aortic intimal damage until rupture, while flexion-distraction lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm and rotation-torsion full laceration of collateral branches. CT and angio-CT were investigations of choice, followed by angiography. Neurological condition remained unchanged in 28 cases (90%). Overall mortality was 30%, but it was higher in AIS A. CONCLUSION: Relationship between thoraco-lumbar fracture and vascular lesion is rare, but potentially fatal. Comprehension of spinal biomechanics and vascular damages could be crucial to avoid poor results or decrease mortality. Frequently, traction of the aorta and its vessels is realized by C-dislocated fractures. CT and angio-CT are recommended. Spine stabilization should always follow the vascular repair. Early severe deficits worse the prognosis related to neurological recovery and survival. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Isolated posterior stabilization in type B and C thoracolumbar fractures associated with ankylosing spine disorders: A single center experience with clinical and radiological outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Fractures in ankylosing spine disorders (ASD) are associated with high complication and mortality rates. During the posterior stabilization of these fractures, reduction is often partial, resulting in the persistence of a significant anterior diastasis. Our objective was to evaluate the safety and efficiency of isolated posterior stabilization in elderly ASD patients, without direct reduction of the anterior diastasis, in terms of clinical and radiological outcomes, complications, and mortality. METHODS: This retrospective study included 46 patients, mean age 79.3 years, with ASD, who underwent isolated posterior stabilization, open or percutaneous, for thoracolumbar fractures. The average follow-up was 21.7 months, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Autonomy (Parker score) and radiological results (lordotic angulation) were analyzed pre-and post-operatively. RESULTS: Autonomy was maintained at the last follow-up, with no significant difference in Parker's score. The consolidation rate was 94.6%. No implant failure was recorded. Despite the absence of an anterior procedure, lordotic angulation was significantly reduced by 2.6° at 6 months (p = 0.02). The rate of surgical complications following open surgeries was 10.9% (n = 5), of which 6.5% were infections. No surgical complications were reported in percutaneous surgeries. The rate of medical complications was 67.4% (n = 31), with a rate of 88.2% in the open surgery group, compared to 55.2% in the percutaneous surgery group. An open approach was associated with a five-fold higher risk of complications (p = 0.049). Nine patients died during follow-up (19.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Isolated posterior stabilization in the treatment of thoracolumbar spine fractures in elderly ASD patients is a safe technique promoting autonomy preservation, and high radiological bony healing with acceptable complication and mortality rates. The persistent anterior gap is partially reduced when the spine is loaded and does not seem to require an anterior procedure, thus decreasing complications. Percutaneous surgery should be the technique of choice to reduce surgical complications.

Synthetic lumbar MRI can aid in diagnosis and treatment strategies based on self-pix networks.

CT and MR tools are commonly used to diagnose lumbar fractures (LF). However, numerous limitations have been found in practice. The aims of this study were to innovate and develop a spinal disease-specific neural network and to evaluate whether synthetic MRI of the LF affected clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies. A total of 675 LF patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. For each participant, two mid-sagittal CT and T2-weighted MR images were selected; 1350 pairs of LF images were also included. A new Self-pix based on Pix2pix and Self-Attention was constructed. A total of 1350 pairs of CT and MR images, which were randomly divided into a training group (1147 pairs) and a test group (203 pairs), were fed into Pix2pix and Self-pix. The quantitative evaluation included PSNR and SSIM (PSNR1 and SSIM1: real MR images and Pix2pix-generated MR images; PSNR2 and SSIM2: real MR images and Self-pix-generated MR images). The qualitative evaluation, including accurate diagnosis of acute fractures and accurate selection of treatment strategies based on Self-pix-generated MRI, was performed by three spine surgeons. In the LF group, PSNR1 and PSNR2 were 10.884 and 11.021 (p < 0.001), and SSIM1 and SSIM2 were 0.766 and 0.771 (p < 0.001), respectively. In the ROI group, PSNR1 and PSNR2 were 12.350 and 12.670 (p = 0.004), and SSIM1 and SSIM2 were 0.816 and 0.832 (p = 0.005), respectively. According to the qualitative evaluation, Self-pix-generated MRI showed no significant difference from real MRI in identifying acute fractures (p = 0.689), with a good sensitivity of 84.36% and specificity of 96.65%. No difference in treatment strategy was found between the Self-pix-generated MRI group and the real MRI group (p = 0.135). In this study, a disease-specific GAN named Self-pix was developed, which demonstrated better image generation performance compared to traditional GAN. The spine surgeon could accurately diagnose LF and select treatment strategies based on Self-pix-generated T2 MR images.

Incidence of Sacroiliac Joint Pain Following Lumbar Fractures: A Retrospective-Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain commonly affects patients with low back pain and can arise from traumatic and degenerative causes. However, the incidence of SIJ pain following lumbar fractures is not well understood. METHODS: TriNetX, a national network of deidentified patient records, was retrospectively queried. The lumbar fracture cohort included 239,199 adults, while the no lumbar fracture group included 6,975,046 adults. Following a propensity-score match based on demographics and risk factors for SIJ, there were 239,197 patients in each cohort. The incidence of SIJ pain and clinical outcomes were analyzed from 1 day to 1 year following the index event. Moreover, the location and type of single-level lumbar fractures were reported. The incidence of SIJ pain for single-level fractures was compared using a χ2 goodness-of-fit. RESULTS: The lumbar fracture cohort was more likely to develop SIJ pain at 3 months (odds ratio [OR]: 5.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.8-5.9), 6 months (OR: 4.4, 95% CI: 4.1-4.8), and 1 year (OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 3.6-4.2) postfracture. Among single-level lumbar fractures, the incidence of SIJ pain at 1 month (P = 0.005), 6 months (P = 0.010), and 1 year (P = 0.003) varied significantly, with the highest incidence in the L5 cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that lumbar fractures are a risk factor for developing SIJ pain. Moreover, the incidence of SIJ pain is greater following an L5 fracture than an L1 fracture. Further investigation is warranted to determine how the type and treatment of lumbar fractures affects the incidence of SIJ pain.

Posterior decompression and stabilization in a pregnant patient with traumatic lumbar fracture: A case report.

Spine fractures with or without spinal cord injury in the pregnant population are rare, with few reported cases. A 25-year-old primigravida at 24 weeks of gestation presented after falling off a fast-moving motorcycle one month prior. She had sustained a severe back injury and had difficulty walking. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an acute kyphosis secondary to comminuted anterior wedge compression fractures of the L2 and L3 vertebral bodies and L2/3 disc involvement with retropulsion of the fracture fragments into the central canal resulting in severe central canal stenosis. After multidisciplinary discussion, the patient underwent posterior decompression, reduction and stabilization with pedicle screws. The patient had good neurological recovery at discharge and the pregnancy progressed normally. Three months later, at 39 weeks of gestation, the patient had an uneventful spontaneous delivery of a healthy baby. This case illustrates the importance of multidisciplinary management of spinal cord injury in a pregnant patient.

Holistic Therapeutic Approaches Improve Functional Mobility in Patients With Postoperative Vertebral Compression Fracture (VCF): A Case Report.

For an unusual spinal injury that frequently results in a traumatic fracture of the lumbar spine, surgical procedures, including spinal fixation and osteotomies, are commonly needed for the therapy of complicated spinal pathologies to regain stability and relieve pain. A 55-year-old man complained of lower back pain while lifting heavy objects at work. He was taken to Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital (AVBRH), where a radiological examination revealed a fracture of the L3 vertebra. He underwent surgery for the fracture, which included an L2-L4 spinal fixation operation and an L3-level osteotomy. The patient was sent to the physiotherapy department for postoperative recovery after the surgery. The rehabilitation program was designed according to the patient's condition. The goals were maximizing functional recovery, better pain management, and improving the participant's health and quality of life. The novel rehabilitation strategy strongly emphasized a multifunctional, patient-centric approach and evidence-based methodologies. The goals of the therapy were to regain full range of motion, gradually increase axial loading, and keep the supporting muscles strong.

Surgical site infection in thoracic and lumbar fractures: incidence and risk factors in 11,401 patients from a nationwide administrative database.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The rate of surgical site infection (SSI) following elective spine surgery ranges from 0.5%‒10%. Published reports suggest a higher SSI rate in non-elective spine surgery such as spine trauma; however, there is a paucity of large database studies examining this issue. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of SSI in patients undergoing spine surgery for thoracic and lumbar fractures in a large population database. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: This is a retrospective study utilizing the PearlDiver Patient Claims Database. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients undergoing spine surgery for thoracic and lumbar fractures between 2015-2020 were identified in the PearlDiver Patient Claims Database using ICD-10 codes. Patients were excluded who had another surgery either 14 days before or 21 days after the index spine surgery, or pathologic fracture. OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of surgical site infection. METHODS: Clinical data collected from the PearlDiver database based on ICD-10 codes included gender, age, diabetes, smoking status, obesity, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and SSI. Univariate analysis was used to assess the association of potential risk factors and SSI. Multivariable analysis was used to identify independent risk factors of SSI. The authors have no conflicts of interest or funding sources to declare. RESULTS: A total of 11,401 patients undergoing spine surgery for thoracic and lumbar fractures met inclusion criteria, and 1,065 patients were excluded. 860 patients developed SSI (7.5%). Risk factors significantly associated with SSI in univariate analysis included diabetes (OR 1.50; 95% CI, 1.30‒1.73; p<.001), obesity (OR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.44‒1.92; p<.001), increased age (p<.001), ECI (p<.001), and CCI (p<.001). On multivariable analysis, obesity and ECI were independently associated with SSI (p<.001 and p<.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Non-elective surgery for thoracic and lumbar fractures is associated with a 7.5% risk of SSI. Obesity and ECI are independent predictors of SSI in this population. Limitations include the reliance on accurate insurance coding which may not fully capture all SSI, and in particular superficial SSI. These findings provide a broad overview of the risk of SSI in this population at a national level and may also help counsel patients regarding risk.

Skip Fusion With Sacral-Alar-Iliac Screw Fixation for Pelvic Ring and Lumbar Fractures: A Case Report.

Pelvic ring fractures are associated with high-energy trauma and high mortality owing to critical blood loss and concomitant injuries. If there is a concurrent lumbar fracture, the postoperative range of motion will be limited owing to the increased fusion range. Here, we report a case in which skip fusion with sacral-alar-iliac screw fixation was effective as a minimally invasive procedure for treating pelvic ring and lumbar fractures.

Seat belt syndrome is caused by a different mechanism: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Seat belt syndrome is associated with multiple visceral injuries and vertebral burst fractures. Small Intestinal perforations are seen in 5-15 % of blunt abdominal trauma. In our case, we will report a case that presented small intestinal perforation and thoracic vertebral fracture caused by a different mechanism. CASE PRESENTATION: Previously healthy 48-year-old male presented to the emergency department following falling from 15 feats height. He was a paraplegic with a sensory level at T12. He did not have a clinical feature of spinal shock. He was complaining of epigastric and central abdominal pain and tenderness and was diagnosed to have a proximal Jejunal perforation associated with an unstable fracture of T12 causing spinal compression. Open intestinal repair followed by a posterior spinal exploration and pedicle screw fixation done. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Violent injury due to different mechanisms can have similar injuries to Seat belt syndrome. Ultrasonography is used to detect pneumoperitoneum, but the Contrast study is the gold standard to detect visceral injuries. The surgical approach to visceral injury depends on the patient's condition. But the laparoscopic approach has a more favorable postoperative outcome than open access. CONCLUSION: Intestinal perforations associated with the neurological deficit are difficult to identify in an initial clinical assessment. Thoracolumbar fractures can associate with small bowel injuries during high-velocity trauma. Early identification and repair of the intestinal injury are important to prevent devastating complications and to improve neurological recovery after spinal surgery.

Etiologies, incidence, and demographics of lumbar vertebral fractures in U.S. emergency departments.

Background: Lumbar vertebral fractures are debilitating injuries widely associated with significant patient deformity, disability, pain, and potentially neurological deficit. This cross-sectional database study investigates the most frequent annual etiologies of lumbar vertebral fractures presented to emergency departments throughout the United States (U.S.) from 2010-2018. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was used to identify all patients who visited participating emergency departments between 2010-2018 and were diagnosed with a lumbar spine fracture. Population estimates by age (18+) were obtained from annual U.S. Census estimates and used to calculate annual incidence rates of lumbar fractures per 100,000 people. Results: The annual incidence rate of total lumbar fractures in the U.S. increased from 14.6 to 22.5 per 100,000 people from 2010-2018 (54%). From 2010-2018, there were 382,914 [95% confidence interval (CI): 382,855-382,973] lumbar fractures in the U.S. This increased from 34,328 (95% CI: 34,277-34,379) in 2010 to 57,098 (95% CI: 57,044-57,152) in 2018 (66.3%). Men composed 40.2% and women made up 59.8% of patients. Mean patient age increased by 2.96 years from 65.5 (95% CI: 65.38-65.62) years in 2010 to 68.4 (95% CI: 68.32-68.48) years in 2018 (4.5%). From 2010-2018, floors, stairs/steps, and ladders were the most common etiologies of lumbar fractures. Estimated sum of floor-related fractures was 80,054 (95% CI: 79,986-80,122), stair/step-related fractures was 48,274 (95% CI: 48,209-48,339), and ladder-related fractures was 31,053 (95% CI: 30,987-31,119). The increase in these three etiologies accounted for 48% of the total increase of all-cause lumbar fractures between 2010 and 2018. Conclusions: The volume of lumbar vertebral fracture has increased over the last near decade (66.3%), and approximately half (48%) of these fractures can be attributed to accidents caused by flooring, stairs/steps, and ladder-related injuries. The increasing mean patient age, as well as accidents involving ladders, were found to be statistically correlated with the rise in total lumbar fracture volume.

Effect of the intermediate pedicle screws and their insertion depth on sagittal balance and functional outcomes of lumbar fracture.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of the intermediate pedicle screws and their insertion depth on sagittal balance and functional outcomes of lumbar fracture. Methods: This study reviewed 1,123 patients with lumbar fractures between January 2015 and June 2019, and 97 patients were ultimately enrolled in this study: Group A: 32 patients in the four-pedicle screws fixation group; Group B: 28 patients in the six-pedicle screws fixation with long intermediate pedicle screws group; Group C: 37 patients in the six-pedicle screws fixation with short intermediate pedicle screws group. The radiographic outcomes were assessed with lumbar lordosis (LL), segmental lordosis (SL), fractured vertebral lordosis (FL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic incidence (PI), and pelvic tilt (PT). The visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were used for assessing functional outcomes. Results: The PI, PT, and SS showed no significant differences between the three groups (P > 0.05). Compared with Group A, Groups B and C showed better FL, SL, and LL 1 month after operation (5.96 ± 1.67/4.81 ± 1.49 vs. 8.78 ± 2.90, 24.39 ± 3.80/23.70 ± 4.10 vs. 20.09 ± 3.33, 39.07 ± 3.61/39.51 ± 3.23 vs. 36.41 ± 3.11, P < 0.05) and at final follow-up (8.75 ± 1.40/6.78 ± 1.70 vs. 11.31 ± 2.61, 22.11 ± 3.39/23.70 ± 4.10 vs. 17.66 ± 2.60, 38.04 ± 3.49/39.51 ± 3.23 vs. 35.41 ± 3.11, P < 0.05). The FL of Group C were significantly better than those of Group B 1 month after operation (4.81 ± 1.49 vs. 5.96 ± 1.67, P < 0.05) and at final follow-up (6.78 ± 1.70 vs. 8.75 ± 1.40, P < 0.05). No significant differences in VAS and ODI were found between Group A and Group B (P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in VAS and ODI between Group A and Group C (P > 0.05). However, The VAS and ODI of Group C showed better than Group B 1 month after operation (3.05 ± 0.70 vs. 3.54 ± 0.79, 17.65 ± 3.41 vs. 19.71 ± 2.35, P < 0.05) and at final follow-up (2.19 ± 0.46 vs. 2.57 ± 0.57, 13.81 ± 2.20 vs. 15.57 ± 1.73, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Both four-pedicle screw fixation and six-pedicle screw fixation were effective in treating lumbar fracture. However, six-pedicle screw fixation with short intermediate pedicle screws showed better radiographic and functional outcomes after surgery. Therefore, we recommend six-pedicle screws fixation with short intermediate pedicle screws for the long-term recovery of sagittal balance and function.

A prospective marker for the prediction of postoperative deep venous thrombosis: Neutrophil extracellular traps.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a common medical complication in patients with lumbar fractures. The current study aimed to investigate the predictive value of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in postoperative DVT formation in patients with lumbar fractures and to develop a nomogram relating clinical admission information for prediction. Patients who underwent open reduction and pedicle screw internal fixation in the treatment of single-segment lumbar fracture in the Department of Spine Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from December 2020 to June 2022 were enrolled in this study. Baseline data and laboratory results were collected from enrollees, and the primary study endpoint event was the occurrence of DVT in patients after surgery. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with higher odds of DVT after surgery. A nomogram was constructed using the results of the multivariable model. The calibration plot and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve were used to show the satisfactory predictive capacity of the model. Of these 393 patients who did not have DVT preoperatively, 79 patients developed it postoperatively, and 314 did not, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that higher body mass index (BMI) (BMI between 24 and 28: RR = 1.661, 95% CI = 0.891-3.094; BMI ≤28: RR = 5.625, 95% CI = 2.590-12.217; reference: BMI <24), neutrophils (RR = 1.157, 95% CI 1.042-1.285), D-dimer (RR = 1.098, 95% CI 1.000-1.206), and citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) (RR = 1.043, 95% CI 1.026-1.060) were independent risk factors for postoperative DVT. Using the multivariable analysis, we then constructed a nomogram to predict DVT, which was found to have an area under the curve of 0.757 (95% CI = 0.693-0.820). Calibration plots also showed the satisfied discrimination and calibration of the nomogram. In conclusion, patients with lumbar fractures with postoperative DVT had higher levels of NETs in the circulation preoperatively compared to those without postoperative DVT. Furthermore, based on BMI, D-dimer, neutrophils, and CitH3, we developed a predictive model to predict postoperative DVT incidence in these patients.

Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer Instigating Paraplegia in a Male Patient.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) constitutes about 2% of all adult malignancies and is the most common malignant renal neoplasm with bony metastases occurring in up to 50% of patients with RCC. In this case, we report a 42-year-old male who presented with chronic back pain and had a sudden episode of paraplegia. The patient was initially referred to the orthopedics service. He had a lumbar X-ray done followed by a CT of the spine that showed a burst fracture of the L1 vertebra with incidental finding of a right renal mass suspicious of RCC. Upon further investigations, the patient was found to have a large heterogeneous renal cortical mass with multiple cystic changes and necrosis invading the Gerota's fascia as well as a tumor thrombus extending into the right renal vein and inferior vena cava. Although it has been well established that RCC metastasizes to bones and it is not uncommon for vertebral column involvement, sudden paraplegia and incontinence resulting from lumbar fracture due to metastatic RCC has not been widely published. Conclusively, RCC is a common malignancy in which a significant number of patients have metastatic disease upon presentation and this can lead to initial confusion and delay in diagnosis, hence it should be part of the differential diagnosis when investigating chronic bony pain and pathological fractures.

A Novel Device for Closed Reduction and Percutaneous Fixation of Thoracolumbar Fractures.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Open surgical reduction/fixation of thoracolumbar fractures results in significant soft-tissue trauma and related complications. Minimally-invasive technical developments could deliver similar radiological outcomes, while avoiding the related complications. We evaluated radiological and perioperative outcomes in thoracolumbar fractures by using a novel minimally-invasive device. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with 29 thoracolumbar fractures using the NForce device were analyzed. Postoperative reduction and alignment were assessed by radiographic measurement of the local kyphosis angle (LKA) up until a follow-up period of 9 months. RESULTS: Postoperative imaging revealed an average reduction of traumatic kyphosis of 8.25° (±7.72°) with an average postoperative LKA of 3.24° (±8.97°). The highest degree of reduction was 27.39°. The mean LKA had increased to 5.08° (±5.17°) at 3 months postoperative, 5.43° (±4.32°) at 6 months and 6.21° (±3.82°) at 9 months. CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive NForce system is effective in performing anatomic percutaneous reduction/fixation.

Time to Surgery for Unstable Thoracolumbar Fractures in Latin America-A Multicentric Study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify delays for surgery to stabilize unstable thoracolumbar fractures and the main reasons for them across Latin America. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of 547 patients with type B or C thoracolumbar fractures from 21 spine centers across 9 Latin American countries. Data were collected on demographics, mechanism of trauma, time between hospital arrival and surgery, type of hospital (public vs. private), fracture classification, spinal level of injury, neurologic status (American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale), number of levels instrumented, and reason for delay between hospital arrival and surgical treatment. RESULTS: The sample included 403 men (73.6%) and 144 women (26.3%), with a mean age of 40.6 years. The main mechanism of trauma was falls (44.4%), followed by car accidents (24.5%). The most frequent pattern of injury was B2 injuries (46.6%), and the most affected level was T12-L1 (42.2%). Neurologic status at admission was 60.5% intact and 22.9% American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale A. The time from admission to surgery was >72 hours in over half the patients and over a week in >25% of them. The most commonly reported reasons for surgical delay were clinical instability (22.9%), lack of operating room availability (22.7%), and lack of hardware for spinal instrumentation (e.g., screws/rods) (18.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Timing for surgery in this sample of unstable fractures was over 72 hours in more than half of the sample and longer than a week in about a quarter. The main reasons for this delay were clinical instability and lack of economic resources. There is an apparent need for increased funding for the treatment of spinal trauma patients in Latin America.

Abusive Pediatric Thoracolumbar Fracture Due to Forced Hyperextension: Case Report, Biomechanical Considerations, and Review of the Literature.

Pediatric thoracolumbar fractures are rare due to the physiological differences which afford greater resilience to the immature spine. Most pediatric thoracolumbar fractures occur as the result of high energy trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents, and modes of reasonable accidental injuries are limited by age and developmental capabilities of the child. These fractures can occur as the result of inflicted blunt force trauma and child abuse, and in most cases, the mechanism of injury to the spine is not known. We report the death of a 29-month-old man due to blunt force trauma to the back and forced hyperextension of the thoracolumbar spine causing fracture of the fourth lumbar (L4) vertebral body. A complete forensic examination revealed a previous healing fracture of the anterior aspect of the L4 vertebral body, with acute disruption of the anterior longitudinal ligament overlying the fracture site, complete fracture of the vertebral body, and fatal retroperitoneal hemorrhage. We present a review of the biomechanical considerations of the pediatric spine, a survey of pediatric spinal fractures, and a review of the literature on pediatric abusive thoracolumbar fractures. In this case, there was never a provided explanation for how the injury occurred; however, understanding the biomechanics of the pediatric spine allowed for the determination of the mechanism, force required to produce this specific pattern of abusive spinal injury, and the manner of death.

Isolated unstable burst fractures of the fifth lumbar vertebra: functional and radiological outcome after posterior stabilization with reconstruction of the anterior column: About 6 cases and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: L5 burst fractures represent a small percentage of all spine fractures. Treatment strategy has not yet been standardized. Anatomical features and their biomechanical characteristics create fracture patterns which differ from those at the thoracolumbar junction. The objective of this study was to evaluate L5 burst fracture surgical treatment outcomes after posterior stabilization and reconstruction of the anterior column. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six patients with fifth lumbar isolated unstable burst fractures were analyzed. Medical records, radiographs, and clinical scores were obtained. The results were evaluated based on restoration of vertebral body height, spinal lordosis/kyphosis, canal compromise and sagittal alignment at several phases of treatment. RESULTS: No patient showed neurologic deterioration, regardless of treatment. The median preoperative anterior vertebral height was 41mm and postoperative was 48mm. The median preoperative kyphotic angle as measured by Cobb angle (local and regional) was 21.5 degrees and 33 degrees which improved respectively by 7.5 and 5.5 degrees following instrumentation. The median amount of backward protrusion of bony fragment into the canal was measured at 67% preoperatively and at 35% postoperatively. There were no pseudarthrosis and anterior arthrodesis solid fusion was visible in all cases. There were a sagittal alignment restoration. At one year of follow up, fusion was obtained in all the cases, all patients had minimal to moderate disability using Oswestry Disability Index. The ability to return to work revealed a good-to-excellent long-term result. DISCUSSION: The results of treatment of 5th lumbar unstable burst fractures with posterior stabilization and reconstruction of the anterior column show benefit on durable functional outcome, spine stabilization and radiologic parameters. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, retrospective study.