Abstract: Objective To observe the clinical effect of emergency operative treatment on thoracolumbar compression or burst fractures using pedicle screw instrument through posterior approach and indirect reduction.Methods53 acute thoracolumbar compression or burst fractures cases injured within 4 days were accepted the emergency operation of indirect reduction, decompression and fixation using pedicle screw instrument through posterior approach. The mean percentage of traumatic vertebral body height, sagittal diameter of spinal canal, degrees of kyphosis and Frankel scoring of nerve function were evaluated before and after operation.ResultsAll cases received two weeks following-up, 47 cases had more than one-year following-up. The mean percentage of traumatic vertebral height restored from 42.28% (pre-operation) to 93.46% (post-operation); the mean degrees of kyphosis recovered from 26.44° (pre-operation) to 17.73° (post-operation); the mean percentage of sagittal diameter of spinal canal changed from 63.14% (pre-operation) to 78.55% (post-operation). All but cases with completely spinal cord injury got more than one grade nerve functional restoration. Neither later spinal cord injury nor back pain existed among the patients. Three cases emerged partial internal fixation device failure, but neither symptoms nor abnormality correction missed.ConclusionEmergency operation using pedicle screw instrument through posterior approach is a feasible and confirmatory choice in treatment of the acute thoracolumbar compression or burst fractures if the cases are selected properly.

Key words: emergency operation, thoracolumbar vertebra, fracture, pedicle screw