SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF FRACTURES OF THE THORACIC AND LUMBAR SPINE VIA THE TRANSPEDICULAR ROUTE

Sixty-seven consecutive patients with burst or dislocation fractures o f the thoracic or lumbar spine were submitted to early surgical reduct ion, via the transpedicular route, over a 5-year period. The first 22 patients received Harrington instrumentation, while transpedicular dev ices were applied in the last 44 cases, at either the thoracic or the lumbar level. One patient did not receive any spinal instrumentation. This surgical approach was found to be reliable in achieving a near-an atomical reconstruction of the fractured spinal segment. The rate of p ost-operative complications was low. Placement of transpedicular devic es proved to be a safe and effective procedure. The overall results we re consistent with the thesis that the transpedicular approach compare s favourably with alternative surgical methods.