Nonoperatively treated burst fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine in adults: a 23- to 41-year follow-up

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Several studies report a favorable short-term outcome after nonoperatively treated two-column thoracic or lumbar burst fractures in patients without neurological deficits. Few reports have described the long-term clinical and radiological outcome after these fractures, and none have, to our knowledge, specifically evaluated the long-term outcome of the discs adjacent to the fractured vertebra, often damaged at injury and possibly at an increased risk of height reduction and degeneration with subsequent chronic back pain. PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological outcome after nonoperatively treated thoracic or lumbar burst fractures in adults, with special attention to posttraumatic radiological disc height reduction. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PATIENT SAMPLE: Sixteen men with a mean age of 31 years (range, 19-44) and 11 women with a mean age of 40 years (range, 23-61) had sustained a thoracic or lumbar burst fracture during the years 1965 to 1973. Four had sustained a burst fracture Denis type A, 18 a Denis type B, 1 a Denis type C, and 4 a Denis type E. Seven of these patients had neurological deficits at injury, all retrospectively classified as Frankel D. OUTCOME MEASURES: The clinical outcome was evaluated subjectively with Oswestry score and questions regarding work capacity and objectively with the Frankel scale. The radiological outcome was evaluated with measurements of local kyphosis over the fractured segment, ratios of anterior and posterior vertebral body heights, adjacent disc heights, pedicle widths, sagittal width of the spinal canal, and lateral and anteroposterior displacement. METHODS: From the radiographical archives of an emergency hospital, all patients with a nonoperatively treated thoracic or lumbar burst fracture during the years 1965 to 1973 were registered. The fracture type, localization, primary treatment, and outcome were evaluated from the old radiographs, referrals, and reports. Twenty-seven individuals were clinically and radiologically evaluated a mean of 27 years (range, 23-41) after the injury. RESULTS: At follow-up, 21 former patients reported no or minimal back pain or disability (Oswestry Score mean 4; range, 0-16), whereas 6 former patients (of whom 3 were classified as Frankel D at baseline) reported moderate or severe disability (Oswestry Score mean 39; range, 26-54). Six former patients were classified as Frankel D, and the rest as Frankel E. Local kyphosis had increased by a mean of 3 degrees (p<.05), whereas the discs adjacent to the fractured vertebrae remained unchanged in height during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Nonoperatively treated burst fractures of the thoracic or lumbar spine in adults with or without minor neurological deficits have a predominantly favorable long-term outcome, and there seems to be no increased risk for subsequent disc height reduction in the adjacent discs.     

经皮等离子消融髓核成形术治疗腰椎间盘突出症: 28例随访报告

目的 探讨腰椎间盘突出症的治疗方法。方法经体格检查，CT和／或MRI检查确诊的腰椎间盘突出症患者28例，采用等离子消融髓核成形术治疗，以Prolo功能和经济结果评定法和VAS评分评定疗效。结果髓核成形组总体治疗成功率82．1％；平均住院时间7．6天，复发率10．8％。并发椎间盘炎1例，进行腰椎融合术后治愈。结论髓核成形术治疗腰椎间盘突出症的满意率较高，复发率低，住院治疗时间短，创伤小，不影响再次手术治疗。髓核成形术是一种安全、有效的治疗腰椎间盘突出症的微创介入治疗新方法。     

椎间盘镜系统治疗腰椎间盘突出症550例

目的探讨椎间盘镜系统治疗腰椎间盘突出症的疗效. 方法改进部分手术器械,采用膝胸坐位,穿刺黄韧带进入椎管等方法,应用METRx进行腰椎间盘取出术550例. 结果随访6～36个月,平均21个月,疗效参考Nakai标准,优478例 (86.9%),良60例(10.9%),可6例(1.1%),差6例(1.1%).疗效差6例再次镜下扩大侧隐窝清理残留髓核疗效转良. 结论 METRx下行腰椎间盘取出术,创伤小、安全、疗效好,值得推广.     

椎弓根固定结合椎体成形术治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折

目的探讨椎弓根固定结合经椎弓根椎体内植骨行椎体成形术治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折的疗效。方法采用椎管环形减压、短节段椎弓根螺钉系统固定结合经椎弓根椎体内植骨治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折116例,其中93例获得随访。术前及术后随访行X线和CT检查,测量伤椎椎体中央高度值,比较植骨后椎体高度的恢复程度,同时观察植骨融合情况。采用配对t检验方法进行统计学分析。结果93例患者术后平均随访24.2个月,90%以上患者伤椎椎体高度恢复并维持良好,无塌陷。伤椎椎体中央高度值犤T12(3.14±0.41)cm,L1(3.33±0.34)cm犦与正常值犤(T12(3.26±0.38)cm,L1(3.47±0.61)cm)犦比较,差异无显著性意义(P>0.05)。未出现植骨操作引起的神经血管并发症。CT显示椎体内植骨块边缘模糊,融合良好,植骨块无吸收现象。结论后路椎管环形减压及内固定时,经伤椎椎弓根进行椎体内植骨行椎体成形术可恢复伤椎椎体高度,重建前、中柱的稳定性,预防术后椎体塌陷的发生。     

小切口加脊柱花刀治疗髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症

为保留腰椎后部结构的完整性，防止术后腰椎不稳，采用小切口单侧小开窗加脊柱花刀治疗旁侧型髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症22例，单侧扩大开窗加脊柱花刀治疗中央型髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症10例。手术尽可能地保留了腰椎全部结构的完整性，可防止术后腰椎不稳和减少对硬膜和神经根的疤痕粘连。并就32例髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症患者CT图像中髓核骨化的形式和形态进行了讨论。     

The effect of prior back surgery on surgical outcome in patients operated on for lumbar spinal stenosis a matched-pair study

Summary It has been widely observed that the outcome after repeat lumbar surgery is rarely comparable to that of primary surgery. In particular, the results of repeat surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) have not been favourable. We used a matched-pair format in an attempt to decrease the confounding factors so as to determine as exactly as possible the effect of prior back surgery on the LSS patients surgical outcome. The matching criteria were sex, age, myelographic findings, major symptom, and duration of symptoms. From one group of 251 patients without prior back surgery (SO patients) and another of fifty-three patients with one preceding back operation (RS patients), forty-one similar matched patients pairs (one SO and one RS-patient) were formed.There were 8 female and 33 male pairs. The mean age of the SO patients was 51.6 and of the RS patient 51.4 years, and the mean follow-up time was 4.6 and 4.4 years. The assessment of outcome was based on a subjective disability questionnaire. The SO patients fared significantly better than the RS patients (32.1 versus 41.3, P = 0.026). A short time interval between operations in the RS patients had a worsening effect on outcome, but this trend was not significant.We concluded that one preceding back operation had a worsening effect on the outcome of patients operated on for LSS. As a whole, the results of RS patients were unfavourable. The proper time for achieving good surgical results in LSS patients is the initial operation.     

椎管镜技术治疗腰椎间盘突出症并侧隐窝狭窄

目的 :探讨椎管镜技术治疗腰椎间盘突出症并侧隐窝狭窄的临床效果。方法 :采用显微内窥镜椎间盘切除系统治疗腰椎间盘突出症并侧隐窝狭窄 860例。结果 :临床疗效参照NaKai分级 ,70 9例获得随访 ,平均 2年 7个月 ,优 ,5 5 9例 ;良 ,12 7例 ;可 ,2 3例。结论 :椎管镜技术是治疗腰椎间盘疾病安全有效的方法 ,住院时间短 ,恢复快 ,但操作技术有待进一步提高。     

坐位腰椎旋转手法时腰椎单元内在应力和位移的实时监测

目的:用三维有限元法,分析施行坐位腰椎旋转手法时退变腰椎单元的内在应力及位移分布的特点,以探讨手法的作用机制、安全性及其合理性。方法:使用正常L4,5腰椎CT片,以Mimics软件系统逐层重建,建立L4,5三维有限元模型。根据手法原理,将坐位腰椎旋转手法进行分解,把各项力学参数代入三维有限元模型进行计算分析。观察手法作用时腰椎间盘的位移和内在应力的变化。结果:最大的应力集中点分布于环椎体峡部、椎弓根、上位椎体小关节面的下端。椎间盘的应力集中分布于环前外侧部,右后外侧部应力大于左后外侧部。最大位移出现在上位椎体的上关节。左侧小关节面相对位移较大,左侧椎间孔变大;右侧椎小关节面间移位小,右侧椎间孔变小,椎间盘右后外侧部向后突出。结论:模拟坐位腰椎旋转手法时,向健侧旋转优于向患侧旋转。     

快速富集骨髓干细胞复合羟基磷灰石三钙在胸腰椎骨折中的应用

胸腰椎骨折在临床上是脊柱骨折的好发部位,后路手术多采用椎弓根钉系统复位固定加椎板间或横突间植骨融合。后外侧融合是降低内固定失败、减少纠正丢失等并发症的有效措施。传统植骨采用自体髂骨,也有运用同种异体骨,但有一定并发症发生率。近年来有单纯运用骨髓移植治疗骨缺损     

后外侧融合对胸腰椎爆裂型骨折疗效的影响

目的 观察后外侧融合对预防胸腰椎爆裂型骨折短节段固定失败的作用及意义。方法 本组60例胸腰椎爆裂型骨折患者，A组30例均为我院收治患者，B组30例均为外院手术来我院复查的患者。A组行短节段内固定自体髂骨植骨、后外侧融合术；B组仅行短节段内固定，未植骨融合。平均随访16个月，在X线侧位片上测量Cobb角、伤椎后凸角及矢状面指数（SI），临床疗效评价采用下腰痛评分法（low back outcome score，LBOS）。结果 手术前、后两组间Cobb角、伤椎后凸角、SI比较，差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05），而末次随访时两组间Cobb角、伤椎后凸角、SI比较，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。LBOS评分A组的优良率为73％（22／30），B组仅为43％（13／30）。结论 后外侧融合是降低内固定失败、减少纠正丢失等并发症的有效措施，只行内固定而不做植骨融合明显增高了并发症的发生率，是不恰当的手术方式。