• Takeru Akabane, Tomoto Suzuki, Yuki Konno, Hiromori Sagae, Makoto Sugita, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Shikou Takada, Tamon Asano, and Michiaki Takagi.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan. banebanebane73@yahoo.co.jp.
• Eur Spine J. 2024 Oct 5.

PurposeVertebral Hounsfield unit values on computed tomography scan (CT values) have been found to be correlated with bone density measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We hypothesized that low preoperative CT values are risk factors for early loss of correction after percutaneous posterior spinal fixation (PPSF). This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of measuring preoperative CT values.MethodsIn total, 104 patients underwent PPSF due to traumatic thoracolumbar fracture. Among them, 53 with a range of fixation that was within two vertebrae above and below the fractured vertebra were selected. CT values were measured preoperatively from the most cephalad vertebrae on the fixed vertebrae. Vertebral wedge angle (VWA) and local kyphosis angle (LKA) were measured before and after surgery. participants were classified into progression (P) and nonprogression (NP) groups. The P group comprised patients with LKA progressing > 10° from the immediate postoperative period to 3 months postoperatively. Meanwhile, the NP group included patients without progression.ResultsEight (15.1%) patients were included in the P group. The vertebral CT values were 102.2 ± 36.7 in the P group and 162.4 ± 59.7 in the NP group (p < 0.01). The pedicle CT values were 114.4 ± 45.9 in the P group and 170.8 ± 72.3 in the NP group (p < 0.05). At 2 weeks postoperatively, VWA and LKA of the P group progressed to 9.8° ± 7.0° and 10.9° ± 7.6°, respectively.ConclusionCT values can predict progressive loss of correction after PPSF.© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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