Abstract

Background: Percutaneous method has increased in popularity in the traumatic spine field over recent 2 decades. The minimally invasive procedure has several advantages, including the diminished length of hospital stay, bleeding and early postoperative rehabilitation.

Purpose: Evaluation the clinical and functional outcomes of Percutaneous Fixation of Thoracolumbar Fracture AO Type (A).

Material: Forty patients 25 males and 15 females, Mean age 31.92±12.6. Fall from height was in 27 patients (67.5%) and Motor car accidents were in 13 patients (32.5%). According to the AO classification 37 patients (92.5%) were type A3 fracture and 3 patients (7.5%) had type A1 fracture. All patients were neurologically free according to the ASIA score.

Methods: A prospective Cohort Study was carried out for forty patients with unstable thoracolumbar fracture AO Type A in Aswan and Assiut university hospitals for assessment of clinical and functional outcomes according to the Oswestry disability index.

Results: Forty patients with AO type A thoracolumbar fracture underwent percutaneous fixation. Surgical interference time varied from 12 to 24 hours post-traumatic, with mean 18 hours, SD of ± 12.54 hours. Follow up for 6 months up to one year radiological, clinical and neurological status were evaluated. At the end of follow up the Oswestry disability index and ASIA score were used in the evaluation of results.

Conclusion: Percutaneous fixation is a minimally invasive, safe and reliable technique in treating cases of thoracolumbar spine fractures type A without neurology.

Keywords: Spine; Fractures; Fracture fixation; Minimally invasive; Percutaneous