title: Percutaneous surgical treatment of chance fractures using cannulated pedicle screws. Report of two cases.
abstract: Chance fractures are relatively rare injuries and can be treated either conservatively, with a cast, or surgically, especially when posterior ligament injury is present. This paper presents two cases of lumbar Chance fractures treated using recently developed percutaneous cannulated pedicle screws. The first patient suffered associated abdominal injuries that required surgery, while the second had associated stable spinal fractures. Intraoperative blood loss was minimal. Both patients progressed to osseous union without implant failure. Following minimally invasive implant removal 9 months after injury, both patients remained asymptomatic without any evidence of instability on flexion and extension images obtained during their latest follow-up. This technique may be useful in selected cases in which bone grafting is not necessary; it allows early mobilization and stable fixation while minimizing morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Orthopédique de la Suisse Romande, University of Lausanne, and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schizas
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kosmopoulos
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001858:Bone Nails; D001863:Bone Screws; D020878:Device Removal; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome