title: A comparison of three different surgical procedures in the treatment of type A thoracolumbar fractures: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of three different surgical procedures in the treatment of type A thoracolumbar fractures.
  
  
  
  Between September 2012 and January 2015, a total of 90 patients with type A thoracolumbar fractures were randomly assigned into three groups of 30 each. Patients in group A, B, and C were treated with three-level percutaneous fixation, two-level percutaneous fixation, and three-level open fixation, respectively. Blood loss, duration of surgery, VAS scores, Cobb angles, and anterior height ratios of fractured vertebrae were collected for statistical analysis.
  
  
  
  The average follow-up was 17.7 months. Post-operative Cobb angles were significantly corrected and anterior height ratios of fractured vertebrae were well restored in all three groups (p < 0.01). Back pain was efficiently relieved according to VAS score change (p < 0.01). There were significant differences in values of blood loss and post-operative VAS scores (at three months) between group A and group C (p < 0.01). No significant difference concerning post-operative anterior height ratios of fractured vertebrae, Cobb angles and correction losses was observed between group A and group B (p = 0.580, 0.840, 0.215, respectively).
  
  
  
  Percutaneous fixation not only provides the same reduction effect as open fixation, but also has an advantage of causing less operation related trauma which is beneficial to post-operative rehabilitation. The efficacy of three-level percutaneous fixation and two-level percutaneous fixation in the treatment of type A thoracolumbar fractures is not significantly different.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The 92 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Nanping, Fujian Province, China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. zhangqiulin@189.cn.
authors.forename: Qiulin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS); Percutaneous pedicle screw; Randomized controlled trial (RCT); Thoracolumbar fracture