title: Painful spine after stable fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine. What benefit from the use of extension brace?
abstract: In a series of 126 patients with conservatively treated stable fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine, the fracture occurred most often (56%) in the thoracolumbar junction. The mean follow-up time was 7.2 years (range 5.5-10.7) and the mean age was 45.9 years (range 14-83). The radiological measurement of vertebral deformity and evaluation of clinical outcome showed that the patients with poor outcome had significantly greater anterior wall compression and kyphosis on admission than the patients with good outcome, but the deformity worsened similarly in both groups. The use of extension brace seemed to decrease subjective symptoms during the mobilization phase but it could not prevent the development of kyphosis deformity during the follow-up period. The results favour the conception of more effective treatment concerning patients with kyphosis of greater than or equal to 13 degrees or anterior wall compression of greater than or equal to 30% on admission, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Aho
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katevuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001915:Braces; D004434:Early Ambulation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*