burst fracture of the thoracolumbar spine
Last reviewed 01/2018
Burst fractures of the thoracolumbar spine may be divided into three types:
- stable fractures with an intact posterior ligament:
- despite their stability these fractures are treated in a plaster jacket because the posterior part of the vertebral body is close to the nerve roots and because they are painful
- the jacket is applied with the spine in the neutral position
- after six weeks the plaster jacket is replaced with a removable polythene jacket for a further six weeks
- fractures which cause paraplegia:
- treated with a padded plastic support or surgical stabilisation
- rehabilitation is begun without delay
- fractures with an incomplete neurological deficit:
- fractures of this type are urgently decompressed anteriorly if the CT scan shows encroachment on the spinal canal
- posterior fusion is then undertaken