title: [Expansive pedicle screws fixation combined with Wright artificial bone implantation for treatment of thoracolumbar burst fracture of the elderly patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of expansive pedicle screws fixation combined Wright artificial bone implantation in treating thoracolumbar burst fracture of the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 2007 to July 2009, 12 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures were treated with surgery in the study. There were 7 males and 5 females, with an average age of 62.3 years (from 56 to 71 years). Nerve functions of all patients were ASIA classified grade E. According to TLICS score system, 6 points were in 5 cases and 7 points were in 7 cases. Expansive pedicle screw system was used and Wright artificial bone was injected into the injuried vertebrae. The anterior border height of vertebral body and Cobb angle were observed at the preoperation, postoperation and final follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up from 10 to 15 months with an average of 12 months. Wounds healed well, pain in the chest-back abated, no the expansive pedicle screws loosened or broke down. The anterior border height of vertebral body increased from (32.3 +/- 9.1)% preoperatively to (95.3 +/- 3.2)% postoperatively; and the Cobb angle decreased from (31.6 +/- 6.8) degrees preoperatively to (4.5 +/- 3.2) degrees postoperatively. There was significant difference between two groups (P<0.01). After 3 months, the anterior border height of vertebral body was (94.7 +/- 3.3)% and the Cobb angle was (4.6 +/- 3.4) degrees; at the final follow-up, the anterior border height of vertebral body was (93.2 +/- 3.6)% and the Cobb angle was (5.3 +/- 3.7) degrees. There was no significant difference between the two data (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of expansive pedicle screws fixation and Wright artificial bone injection is a good treatment for thoracolumbar burst fracture, with advantages such as easy operation and good effect, which mainly applied to patients with no obvious nerve injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of the First Orthopaedics, Kunshan Hospital of Tradional Chinese Medicine, Kunshan 215300, Jiangsu, China. beizhongshui1007@163.com
authors.forename: Bin-feng
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jian-yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Xiao-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed