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Treatment of Thoraco-Lumbar Fractures

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European Instructional Lectures

Part of the book series: European Instructional Lectures ((EICL,volume 10))

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Abstract

Thoraco-lumbar fractures (Th10-L2) in young adults are common and often associated with profound socio-economic consequences [20]. Most of these result from motor vehicle accidents and falls from heights, which involve high kinetic energy and affect mainly males. Very often, patients are polytraumatized and present with associated thoracic and/or abdominal injuries. Initial in-hospital management is carried out following the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines, where priority is given to stabilization of vital functions and only then to neurologic functions. The traumatized spine is assessed using standard radiologic imaging, as well as CT scan. MRI can provide valuable information about neural tissue and disco-ligamentous injuries. Specific treatment decisions will then rely on both intrinsic (e.g., fracture morphology, neurologic status, mechanical instability) and extrinsic factors (e.g., age, occupation, level of physical activity). The main goal of surgical treatment is to protect the neural tissue by mechanically stabilizing the spine and additionally decompressing the spinal canal if necessary. We present here an overview of current treatment options available to surgeons for the treatment of thoraco-lumbar fractures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HUG - Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, 24 Rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland

    Antonio A. Faundez

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  1. Antonio A. Faundez
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Correspondence to Antonio A. Faundez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Orthopaedics, RNOHT, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middx., HA7 4LP, United Kingdom

    George Bentley

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Faundez, A.A. (2010). Treatment of Thoraco-Lumbar Fractures. In: Bentley, G. (eds) European Instructional Lectures. European Instructional Lectures, vol 10. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11832-6_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11832-6_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-11831-9

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