• O Vlach and M Bayer.
• Ortopedická klinika Fakultní nemocnice s poliklinikou, Brno-Bohunice.
• Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 1991 May 1; 58 (3): 174-7.

AbstractInadequate treatment of a fresh injury of the thoracolumbar spine of failure or surgical treatment may lead to substantial restriction of the physical activity of the patient. This is due to posttraumatic kyphosis, possibly its progression, instability, painfulness and a persisting or progressing neurological finding. Forty-eight patients with unstable fracture of the thoracolumbar spine were, except one operated patient, treated originally by conservative methods, 15 of them were moreover subjected to isolated laminectomy. In 30 patients a partial nervous lesion was involved. The majority of patients in the group subjected to laminectomy had a more severe kyphotic deformity which more frequently was progressive. The authors indicated surgery in 18 patients (37%) on account of pain, in 14 (29%) on account of instability, in 12 (25%) on account of progressing kyphosis and in 4 (8%) on account of an increasing nervous deficit. They included 26 patients with persisting partial nervous affections in the group with instability and progressing kyphosis, as anterior compression of the dural sac was revealed and they indicated release of nervous structures as part of the surgical operation. In the remaining partial neurological lesions with a patient spinal canal decompression was not indicated.

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