Posterior Injured Vertebra Column Resection and Spinal Shortening for Thoracolumbar Fracture Associated with Severe Spinal Cord Injury: A Retrospective Case-Control Observational Study

This study evaluates a new surgical procedure, posterior injured vertebra column resection (PIVCR) and spinal shortening, for treating thoracolumbar fractures associated with severe spinal cord injury (sSCI). The aim was to see if this new procedure leads to better clinical outcomes and neurological improvement compared to simple posterior decompression and fixation. The study compared patients who underwent PIVCR and spinal shortening (group B) with those who received simple posterior decompression and fixation (group A). Clinical and radiological outcomes were retrospectively analyzed to determine the effectiveness of each surgical approach. The findings suggest that PIVCR and spinal shortening is a safe, reliable, and effective approach for treating thoracolumbar fractures associated with sSCI, leading to better neurological improvement and clinical outcomes compared to the traditional method.

• 1
  PIVCR and spinal shortening resulted in better postoperative canal decompression compared to simple posterior decompression and fixation.
• 2
  Patients who underwent PIVCR and spinal shortening showed better neurological improvement at the final follow-up compared to those who received simple posterior decompression and fixation (P < 0.05).
• 3
  The loss of corrective Cobb angle was less significant in the PIVCR and spinal shortening group compared to the simple posterior decompression and fixation group at the final follow-up (P < 0.05).