title: Balloon kyphoplasty and percutaneous fixation of lumbar fractures in pediatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Type A fractures of the spine requiring operative stabilization are rare injuries in the pediatric population. Current reports have demonstrated the safety of the combination of balloon kyphoplasty and minimal invasive management of thoraco-lumbar fractures in adults. There is no information about the efficacy of this approach in managing pediatric vertebral fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of the present study was to report the outcome of a small series of children with A fractures of the lumbar spine treated with the combination of the abovementioned techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three male patients without neurological deficits aged 11, 12 and 14 years were treated with fractures located at L1, L1/L2 and L2/L3, respectively. In total, six kyphoplasties were performed (monolateral in 4 vertebrae, bilateral in one vertebra). Neither cases of cement leakage nor intra- or postoperative complications were noted. Minimally invasive kyphoplasty and stabilization led to a significant improvement of the sagittal index of all five treated vertebrae which could be maintained at follow-up (14, 19 and 20 months postoperatively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first one to present an excellent outcome of children with type A fractures treated with a combination of balloon kyphoplasty and percutaneous stabilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, 8036, Graz, Austria. georg.singer@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, 8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wegmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, 8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gumpert
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, 8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Till
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, 8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eberl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D058498:Kyphoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements
keywords: Children; Compression fracture; Operative stabilization; Spine