Abstract
Objective: To assess the result of surgical stabilisation of spine in Spinal cord injured patients.
Design: Retrospective review of patients managed and followed at a spinal injury centre.
Subjects: Sixty-six patients with spinal cord injury, treated with surgical stabilisation of their spinal fracture and followed for a minimum of two years.
Outcome Measures: Delay in starting ambulation from injury/surgery, sagittal balance, metalwork failure and surgical complications.
Results: The mean age was 29.5 years (17–67), and five patients were female. The median follow up was 7.9 years (2–24). There were 19 cervical, 21 thoracic and 28 thoracolumbar and lumbar fractures. A total of 36 patients had over six weeks delay in starting ambulation. Of these 11 were due to inadequate fixation. Ten patients (50%) with cervical fracture and seven patients (25%) with lumbar fractures had normal lordosis. Significantly more patients with anterior cervical fixation had normal lordosis compared to those with posterior fixation. Nineteen with thoracic fracture had thoracic kyphosis within 40°. Nine patients had failure of metalwork. Surgical complications occurred in 21 (33%) patients.
Conclusion: Early ambulation was not achieved in the majority. The maintenance of lordosis was successful in cervical but not in lumbar spine. Posterior fixation of thoracic spine was successful in maintaining normal sagittal balance.
Abstracts prepared by Mr. A. J. Stirling, FRCS, and Miss A. Weaver. Correspondence should be addressed to Miss A. Weaver at the Research and Teaching Centre, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 2AP, UK
BritSpine 2002, the second combined meeting of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons, the British Cervical Spine Society, The British Scoliosis Society and the Society for Back Pain Research, took place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham UK between 27th February and 1st March 2002. The following presentations and posters were given and displayed.
