The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of short segment pedicle screw instrumentation and an intermediate screw (SSPI+IS) on the radiological outcome of type A thoracolumbar fractures, as judged by the load-sharing classification, percentage canal area reduction and remodelling. We retrospectively evaluated 39 patients who had undergone hyperlordotic SSPI+IS for an AO-Magerl Type-A thoracolumbar fracture. Their mean age was 35.1 (16 to 60) and the mean follow-up was 22.9 months (12 to 36). There were 26 men and 13 women in the study group. In total, 18 patients had a load-sharing classification score of seven and 21 a score of six. All radiographs and CT scans were evaluated for sagittal index, anterior body height compression (%ABC), spinal canal area and encroachment. There were no significant differences between the low and high score groups with respect to age, duration of follow-up, pre-operative sagittal index or pre-operative anterior body height compression (p = 0.217, 0.104, 0.104, and 0.109 respectively). The mean pre-operative sagittal index was 19.6° (12° to 28°) which was corrected to -1.8° (-5° to 3°) post-operatively and 2.4° (0° to 8°) at final follow-up (p = 0.835 for sagittal deformity). No patient needed revision for loss of correction or failure of instrumentation. Hyperlordotic reduction and short segment pedicle screw instrumentation and an intermediate screw is a safe and effective method of treating burst fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. It gives excellent radiological results with a very low rate of failure regardless of whether the fractures have a high or low load-sharing classification score.

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This study is a case report of a meningomyelocele patient with congenital kyphosis who was treated with kyphectomy and a special approach to soft tissue healing. The objective of this study is to show a step by step approach to surgical treatment and postoperative care of a meningomyelocele patient with congenital kyphosis. In meningomyelocele the incidence of kyphosis is around 12-20%. It may cause recurrent skin ulcerations, impaired sitting balance and respiratory compromise. Kyphectomy has first been described by Sharrard. This surgery is prone to complications including pseudoarthrosis, skin healing problems, recurrence of deformity and deep infections. A 15-year-old male presented with congenital kyphosis due to meningomyelocele. He had back pain, deformity and bedsores at the apex of the deformity. The wound cultures showed Staphylococcus epidermidis colonisation at the apex. He was given appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis. During surgery, the apex of the deformity was exposed through a spindle-shaped incision. After instrumentation and excision of the apex, correction was carried out by cantilever technique. Two screws were inserted to the bodies of L3 and T11. After the operation, the skin was closed in a reverse cross fashion. He was sent to hyperbaric oxygen treatment for prevention of a subsequent skin infection and for rapid healing of skin flaps post operation. The patient's deformity was corrected from a preoperative Cobb angle of 135°-15° postoperative. The skin healed without any problems. Preoperative culture and appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis, spindle-shaped incision, reverse cross-skin closure and postoperative hyperbaric oxygen treatment can be useful adjuncts to treatment in congenital kyphosis patients with myelomeningocele to prevent postoperative wound healing and infection problems. Reduction screws and intracorporeal compression screws help to reduce the amount of screws and aid in corection of the deformity.

BackgroundThe prevalence of postoperative wound infection in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis surgery is significantly higher than that in patients with other spinal surgery. Hyperbaric oxygen has been used as a supplement to treat postsurgical infections. Our aim was to determine beneficiary effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in terms of prevention of postoperative deep infection in this specific group of patients in a retrospective study.MethodsForty two neuromuscular scoliosis cases, operated between 2006–2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who had presence of scoliosis and/or kyphosis in addition to cerebral palsy or myelomeningocele, postoperative follow-up >1 year and posterior only surgery were the subjects of this study. Eighteen patients formed the Hyperbaric oxygen prophylaxis (P-HBO) group and 24, the control group. The P-HBO group received 30 sessions of HBO and standard antibiotic prophylaxis postoperative, and the control group (received standard antibiotic prophylaxis).ResultsIn the P-HBO group of 18 patients, the etiology was cerebral palsy in 13 and myelomeningocele in 5 cases with a mean age of 16.7 (11–27 yrs). The average follow-up was 20.4 months (12–36mo). The etiology of patients in the control group was cerebral palsy in 17, and myelomeningocele in 7 cases. The average age was 15.3 years (8–32 yrs). The average follow-up was 38.7 months (18–66mo). The overall incidence of infection in the whole study group was 11.9% (5/42). The infection rate in the P-HBO and the control group were 5.5% (1/18), and 16.6% (4/24) respectively. The use of HBO was found to significantly decrease the incidence of postoperative infections in neuromuscular scoliosis patients.ConclusionIn this study we found that hyperbaric oxygen has a possibility to reduce the rate of post-surgical deep infections in complex spine deformity in high risk neuromuscular patients.