title: [Treatment and classification of thoracic fracture  accompanied with sternum fracture].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the characteristics, classification, and treatment of thoracic fracture accompanied with sternum fracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 32 patients with thoracic fractures accompanied with sternum fracture were reviewed. Patients information such as age, gender, cause of injury, site of sternum fracture, level and type of thoracic vertebral fracture, spinal cord injury and associated injuries was included in the analysis. Of the 32 patients, 13 had compressed fractures, 13 had fracture-dislocations, 5 had burst fracture and 1 had burst-dislocation. Six patients had a complete lesion of the spinal cord, 13 sustained a neurologically incomplete injury, and the other 13 were neurologically intact. Ten patients were treated nonoperatively and the other 22 surgically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up for 10-103 months. Road traffic accidents and falling dominated among the causes. All patients were accompanied with other injuries. None of the 6 patients with a complete paralitic lesion regained any significant function. Of the 13 neurologically intact patients, 5 had local pain although 12 of them remained normal function. One patient showed tardive paralysis. Three of the 13 patients with incomplete paraplegia returned to normal, 5 regained some function and 5 did not recover.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracic fractures accompanied with sternum fracture are marked by violent force, severe fracture of the spine, severe injuries of the spinal cord, and high incidence of other injuries. The new classification method is more suitable to thoracic fractures accompanied with sternum fracture,and confirms the existence and clinical relevance of the 4th column of the thoracic spine and its role in providing spinal stability in patients with thoracic fracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Chenggong Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, China.
authors.forename: Zheyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Bilong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Haoyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fengrong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Tianrui
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guojian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.forename: Bowen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ruisong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhiyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000145:classification; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013249:Sternum / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult