title: Comparison of therapeutic effects of anterior decompression and posterior decompression on thoracolumbar spine fracture complicated with spinal nerve injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical therapeutic effects of anterior decompression and posterior decompression on thoracolumbar spine fracture (TSF) complicated with spinal nerve injury (SNI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 patients with TSF and SNI were selected and divided into a treatment group and a control group that were then treated by anterior decompression and posterior decompression respectively. The preoperative and postoperative motor scores, tactile scores, heights of injured vertebral body and Cobb's angles, as well as surgical times and intraoperative blood losses were recorded and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before surgeries, the motor score, tactile score, height of injured vertebral body and Cobb's angle of the treatment group were similar to those of the control group (P>0.05). After surgeries, the values of the treatment group were significantly different from those of the control group (P<0.05). The two groups also had significantly different intraoperative blood losses and surgical times (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with posterior decompression, anterior decompression improved spinal cord function better and relived spinal cord compression more effectively with a more reasonable mechanics of internal fixation. Although this protocol caused more blood loss, the overall therapeutic effects were more satisfactory.
authors.affiliation: Hongxun Cui, Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province, Luoyang 471002, Henan Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongxun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Jiayi Guo, Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province, Luoyang 471002, Henan Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Jiayi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Lei Yang, Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province, Luoyang 471002, Henan Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Yanxing Guo, Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province, Luoyang 471002, Henan Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanxing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Malong Guo, Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province, Luoyang 471002, Henan Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Malong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guo
keywords: Anterior decompression; Posterior decompression; Spinal nerve injury; Thoracolumbar spine fracture