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BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes of surgical treatment and conservative treatment with bracing in neurologically intact patients with score 4 of TLICS thoracolumbar vertebra fractures. METHODS:Patients with traumatic thoracolumbar junction fractures (T11-L2), the score of TLICS 4, and minimum 24-month follow-up were included in this study. Patients were divided into surgery and bracing groups. The groups were compared concerning clinical and demographical features, local kyphotic angles (LKA), vertebra height loss percentage (VHL), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and time to return to work. RESULTS: There were 74 patients (71 males, 3 females) in the surgery group and 76 patients (58 males, 18 females) in the bracing group. Although the surgery group showed better improvement in VAS scores within six months postoperatively, no significant difference was observed at the 24 th -month evaluation (p<0.001 and p=0.270, respectively). ODI, LKA and VHL were significantly lower in the surgery group (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). In addition, return to work was significantly earlier in the surgery group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION:The findings obtained in this study suggest that the surgical treatment for TLICS 4 patients with thoracolumbar fractures has better clinical and radiographic outcomes than the bracing. Moreover, returning time to the work of patients is shortened with surgical treatment. The surgical treatment seems to be the first and the appropriate choice in the management of TLICS 4 thoracolumbar vertebral fractures.

This study revealed that neither hs-CRP nor ferritin levels could predict functional disability 3 months after stroke onset. FIM, FAS, and NIHSS scores were more useful in predicting functional outcome 3 months after stroke onset than the laboratory markers evaluated in this study.

Background: The treatment of Intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly osteoporotic patient is still controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of proximal femoral nailing (PFN) and a distally-fixed non-modular monoblock fluted long-stem hemiarthroplasty (HA) in elderly patients with an osteoporotic intertrochanteric fracture. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who had undergone surgery for an unstable intertrochanteric fracture. The patients were separated into PFN and HA groups. The demographic features of the 2 groups were compared. All patients were evaluated using the Singh index, ASA score, AO/OTA classification, Harris Hip Score (HHS), and Parker and Palmer mobility score. Results: The most common complications were nonunion (12.0%) and cut-out of the screw (10.7%) in the PFN group, and dislocation of the prosthesis (6.7%) and wound infection (5.7%) in the HA group. Overall, the 2-year mortality rate was 29.3%. Mortality, particularly within the first 3 months, was 2.4 times higher in the PFN Group than in the HA group (40% vs. 19.75%). Although the HHS was significantly higher in the first year for the HA group, no significant difference was seen between the 2 groups at 24 months. Conclusions: Although PFN and HA have similar good outcomes at 2 years, HA allows earlier mobilisation and has fewer complications and a lower mortality rate.

Osteopetrosis is a rare genetic disorder caused by osteoclast failure. Dominant negative mutations of the ClCN7 gene cause the so-called, autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type II, which represents the most frequent and heterogeneous form of osteopetrosis, ranging from asymptomatic to intermediate-severe, thus suggesting additional genetic and environmental determinants affecting penetrance. Here, we present a case a 46 year-old woman complained low back pain for 15 years. The patient lacked any history of direct trauma and her pain was radiating to her left leg, increasing with physical activity, she had no pain at nights. The patient was diagnosed with autosomal dominant osteopetrosis on the basis of the presence of typical radiological appearance. Were present a case report of osteopetrosis type II (an autosomal dominantly inherited disease) as a cause for low back pain without any familial penetrance of the disease.