The Change of Kyphotic Angle and Anterior Vertebral Height after Posterior or Posterolateral Fusion with Transpedicular Screws for Thoracolumbar Bursting Fractures

The purposes of this study are to make an operative treatment option of thoracolumbar burst fractures by the degree of initial kyphotic deformity or by the degree of initial loss of anterior vertebral height. We analyzed sixty-three cases of one segmental thoracolumbar bursting fractures treated surgically by posterior or posterolateral fusion with short segmental transpedicular screws fixation method using Diapason or CD from January, 1992 to October, 1996. Indications of operative treatment were that the degree of initial kyphotic deformity was above 15°or initial loss of anterior vertebral height was above 30%. Minimum follow-up period was 12 months and the results were as follows : 1. Entirely, mean kyphotic angle was 21.6°initially, 11.3°postoperatively and 14.2°at the end