COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS OF TREATMENT OF UNSTABLE UNCOMPLICATED SPINAL FRACTURES

Abstract

Objective: To perform a comparative analysis of the results of treatment of unstable uncomplicated spinal fractures (UUSF) Methods: Six hundred fifty-nine patients aged 18-74 years (mean age 45.4±2.3 years) with a UUSF were enrolled; 63.7% of them were males. The patients were categorized into three groups: Group I (35.9%) patients underwent posterior transpedicular fixation, Group II (20.6%) – posterior fusion using various plates, and Group III (43.4%) patients were treated conservatively, as they refused surgery. The results of treatment were evaluated using a newly developed scale, and the quality of life was assessed using the Oswestry scale. Results: In Group I, good results were achieved in 59.9% of cases, whereas 1.1% of patients showed unsatisfactory results. In Group II satisfactory results (62.6%) were predominant, while in Group III most common were unsatisfactory results (55.6%). When studying the quality of life using the Oswestry scale, the best results were achieved in Group I. The total score in Group I was 3.2±0.03; in Group II – 15.8±2.3 and in Group III – 24.9±3.4, while the Oswestry index score was 7.1±1.6; 35.1±3.8; and 55.3±4.6 respectively. Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrated a highly significant correlation between the long-term results of UUSF treatment and the chosen treatment tactics. Transpedicular fixation allowed us to achieve positive results in 98.9% of patients

Keywords

• uncomplicated spine fractures
• unstable spine fractures
• transpedicular fixation
• posterior fusion
• long-term results
• conservative treatment.