title: Long-term functional outcome after type A3 spinal fractures: operative versus non-operative treatment.
abstract: The authors retrospectively studied, by questionnaires, the long-term (5 years) functional outcome after operative (posterior instrumentation: 38 cases) and non-operative treatment (25 cases) for type A3 spinal fractures (Comprehensive Classification) without neurological deficit. A possible bias of this study was the fact that the operative group included 60% A3.2 and A3.3 fractures, versus only 12% in the nonoperative group. Two disease-specific questionnaires were used: the Visual Analogue Scale Spine Score and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. At follow-up the mean VAS scores were 82.6 and 80.8 in the operatively and non-operatively treated group, respectively; the difference was not significant. The mean RMDQ scores were 3.3 and 3.1 in the operatively and non-operatively treated groups, respectively; again the difference was not significant. Functional outcome appeared to be equally good five years after operative or non-operative treatment of type A3 "burst" fractures.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rehabilitation, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Corry K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: van der Sluis
authors.forename: Vincent J M
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Leferink
authors.forename: Henk-Jan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: ten Duis
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult