title: A retrospective study evaluating the correlation between the severity of intervertebral disc injury and the anteroposterior type of thoracolumbar vertebral fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlation between the severity of intervertebral disc injury and the anteroposterior type of thoracolumbar vertebral fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six cases of thoracolumbar vertebral fractures treated in our trauma center from October 2012 to October 2013 were included in this study. The fractures were classified by the anteroposterior classification, whereas the severity of intervertebral disc injury was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between the severity of intervertebral disc injury and the anteroposterior type of thoracolumbar fractures, whereas a χ2 test was adopted to measure the variability between different fracture types and upper and lower adjacent disc injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Spearman correlation coefficients between fracture types and the severity of the upper and lower adjacent disc injuries were 0.739 (PU<0.001) and 0.368 (PL=0.005), respectively. It means that the more complex Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) classifications are the disc injury is more severe. There was also a significant difference in the severity of injury between the upper and lower adjacent discs near the fractured vertebrae (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In thoracolumbar spinal fractures, the severity of the adjacent intervertebral disc injury is positively correlated with the anteroposterior fracture type. The injury primarily involves intervertebral discs near the fractured end plate, with more frequent and severe injuries observed in the upper than in the lower discs. The presence of intervertebral disc injury, along with its severity, may provide useful information during the clinical decision-making process.
authors.affiliation: Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Trauma Service Center, Major Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Yunshan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Trauma Service Center, Major Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Trauma Service Center, Major Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Trauma Service Center, Major Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Orthopaedic Trauma Service Center, Major Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, China.
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult