a comparative analysis of management of thoracolumbar burst fractures short segment posterior stabilisation vs long segment posterior instrumentation

Abstract

newline Fractures in the thoracic and lumbar spine newlineaccounts for 90% of all spinal fractur es. Regarding the use of short newlineor long posterior fixation constructs, there is controversy over the newlinebest course of therapy for thoracolumbar burst fractures. 9 ,1 0 newline Our newlineresearch aims to compare the short segment posterior stabilisation newlineand long segment posterior stabilisation for the management of newlinethoracolumbar burst fractures. newlineMATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted between newlineOctober 2020 and 2022.The patients presented to the emergency newlineroom and were assessed and treated according to the ATLS protocol. newlinePatient was diagnosed with clinical and radiological correlation newlineaccording to AO spine trauma classification system. The injuries newlinesustained by the patients were classified according to ASIA scoring newlinesystem and TLICS scores were calculated for all the patients in this newlinestudy. A total of 30 patients were a part of this study with 15 newlinepatients getting a short posterior stabili zation and the other 15 newlinegetting long posterior stabilization. Mobilization was started as per newlinepatient s tolerance. Post-op x-rays were taken. The patients were newlinefollowed up every month till 6 months and every 2 months after newlinethat. During the follow-up period, patients were assessed using newlineDenis pain and work assessment scale . The data obtained was newlinecharted using MS-excel [microsoft USA] and analysed using SPSS newlineversion 16[IBM]. The comparison between the independent and newlinedependent variables were done using independent t test for newlinenumerical variables and chi-square test for categorical variables. newlineAll p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. newlineRESULTS: The operating time in the long segment and the short newlinesegment groups were 136.1 (±11.31) and 79.4 (±11.7) minutes newlinerespectively. The blood loss in the long segment and the short newlinesegment groups were 1263.3 (±151.74) and 876.7 (±189.8) minutes newlinerespectively. The ASIA impairment scale measurement, Beck s newlineindex and kyphotic angle was statistically insignificant among both newlinegr