title: Ilizarov external fixator for burst fracture of the lumbar spine: a case report.
abstract: A 50-year-old man presented with severe back pain and tenderness throughout the lumbar area after falling from a ladder. He had an unstable type-B burst fracture, with a spinal canal narrowing of 36% and an anterior height loss of 65%. His lower-limb neurological function was intact. An Ilizarov external spinal fixator was used; the pedicular half pins were inserted into the bilateral T11, T12, L2, and L3 pedicles; bilateral pedicular half pins were fixed at each level with external plates and rods. Postoperatively, the patient had a lordosis of 2 degrees and was able to walk 7 days later. The external fixator was removed at 10 weeks. Six years and 10 months after surgery, the patient had a kyphosis of 19 degrees that did not affect his activities of daily living.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomita
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D016267:External Fixators; D006801:Humans; D018889:Ilizarov Technique / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*