Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

World Neurosurg 2018 Jun 15;114:375-380. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

Department of Neurosurgery, Preah Kossamak Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Objective: In recent years, delivery of cost-effective "essential neurosurgery" in resource-limited communities has been recognized as an indispensable part of health care and a global health priority. The aim of this study was to review outcomes from operative management of spine trauma at a resource-limited government hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and to provide an epidemiologic report to guide prevention programs.

Methods: A retrospective review of a prospective neurosurgical database was performed to identify risk factors for spine trauma and severe spinal cord injury (American Spinal Injury Association A or American Spinal Injury Association B) and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of surgery for patients treated at Preah Kossamak Hospital for subaxial and thoracolumbar spine trauma from 2013 to 2016. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Mar;97(9):e0050

Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Rationale: Traumatic fracture of the thoracolumbar junction (T10-L2) is the most common fracture of the spinal column. Due to the disruption of the entire vertebrae column, the fracture-dislocation of the thoracolumbar spine is almost invariably associated with neurological injury. A complete fracture-dislocation of the thoracolumbar spine without neurological deficit is a rare entity. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 May 7;113:e166-e171. Epub 2018 Feb 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Objective: To apprise readers about this rare but severest form of traumatic spine injury and its surgical management.

Background: Complete fracture dislocation and subluxation (>100%) of 1 vertebral body in the coronal or sagittal plane with respect to the adjacent vertebra is defined as spondyloptosis. In coronal spondyloptosis the subluxated vertebral bodies lie beside each other, and the condition is lateraloptosis. Read More

J Spinal Cord Med 2018 Feb 7:1-11. Epub 2018 Feb 7.

c Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.

Context Current treatment of TLST should consider injury morphology, neurological status, clinical status (pain and disability) and also multimodal radiological evaluation (MMRE) with CT, MRI and dynamic/ standing plain radiographs. Methods A narrative literature review was performed to propose a treatment algorithm to guide the management of thoracolumbar spinal trauma (TLST). In order to classify injuries and surgical indications, we utilized the two most recent classification systems (TLICS and new AO spine classification) and related recent literature. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2018 07;43(13):E734-E739

Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

Study Design: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) administered during the surgical correction of thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation.

Summary Of Background Data: Thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation surgery is generally associated with substantial blood loss and a high risk of deep vein thrombosis. Read More

Orthop Nurs 2017 Sep/Oct;36(5):350-355

Chen Zhao, MS, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China Bing Zhang, BS, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. Jiandang Shi, MD, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Xingqing District, Victory Street, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Province, China. Yaping Li, BS, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Xingqing District, Victory Street, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Province, China. Long Pang, MD, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Xingqing District, Victory Street, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Province, China.

Fractures and dislocations with complete lateral displacement of the spine at the lumbar and thoracic levels are some of the most severe types of thoracolumbar trauma. They are usually caused by high-energy trauma and accompanied by extreme, life-threatening injuries and neurological deficits that vary in severity, which may delay operative intervention. It is often difficult to reduce such a complex fracture-dislocation because of the force that the muscles exert on the bone and the injured part of the spinal cord. Read More

Neurocirugia (Astur) 2017 Sep - Oct;28(5):211-217. Epub 2017 May 30.

Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Enfermedades Músculo-Esqueléticas, Valencia, España.

Objective: To analyse the radiological outcomes in the long term of unstable thoraco-lumbar fractures.

Material And Methods: Retrospective review of 100 patients with unstable thoracolumbar fractures treated with posterolateral fusion and short screw fixation for compression and flexion-distraction type fractures, and long segment posterior fixation for fractures-dislocations or more than one vertebra fractured, between 2000 and 2010 at three different hospital centers. Six radiological parameters were measured annually during a 4-year period: Fracture angle, kyphotic deformity, sagittal index, percentage of compression, degree of displacement and deformation angle. Read More

World J Surg Oncol 2017 Jan 5;15(1). Epub 2017 Jan 5.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, No. 107 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.

Background: Fracture-dislocations of the thoracic spine without spinal cord injury are very rare.

Case Presentation: A 35-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with complete T6-7 fracture-dislocation without any neurological loss had undergone a surgical reduction and fixation.

Conclusions: The radiological severity of fracture-dislocation pattern doesn't correlate sometimes with the clinical manifestation. Read More

Radiographics 2016 Nov-Dec;36(7):2234-2235

From the Department of Radiology and Molecular Imaging, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, PO Box 38, PC 123, Al Khoud, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman (S.B.R., F.H.A.); Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif (M.R.S.); Department of Radiology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, England (A.K.); Department of Spine Surgery, Khoula Hospital, Muscat, Oman (V.K.M.); and Department of Radiology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, England (S.B.).

Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ) 2016 Sep/Oct;45(6):E328-E330

Department of Emergency Medicine, Sutter Health, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Oakland, CA.

Inferior dislocation (luxatio erecta) is the most uncommon form of dislocation of the glenohumeral joint. The chance that a person endures the specific direction of forces to dislocate both shoulders simultaneously makes bilateral luxatio erecta even more uncommon. In this article, we report the case of a man who sustained bilateral luxatio erecta when he jumped from a falling scaffold and tried grabbing onto another structure. Read More

Eur Spine J 2017 01 21;26(1):20-25. Epub 2016 Sep 21.

Department of Neurosurgery, Trauma Center Murnau, Murnau, Germany.

Purpose: Early surgical management after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is nowadays recommended. Since posttraumatic ischemia is an important sequel after SCI, maintenance of an adequate mean arterial pressure (MAP) within the first week remains crucial in order to warrant sufficient spinal cord perfusion. However, the contribution of raised intraparenchymal and consecutively increased intrathecal pressure has not been implemented in treatment strategies. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop 2016 Oct-Nov;36(7):701-8

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO.

Background: Pediatric spine trauma often results from high-energy mechanisms. Despite differences in healing potential, comorbidities, and length of remaining life, treatment is frequently based on adult criteria; ligamentous injuries are fused and bony injuries are treated accordingly. In this study, we present short-term results of a select group of adolescent patients treated using percutaneous pedicle screw instrumentation without fusion. Read More

J Med Invest 2016 ;63(1-2):122-6

Department of Orthopedics, Mitoyo General Hospital.

Fractures at the thoracolumbar junction are the most common spinal column fractures. Among type C fractures in the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen Spine Classification, cases with complete fracture-dislocations of the spinal column often result in a critical neurological deficit despite surgical treatment. We present a case of an 18-year-old man who had a complete fracture-dislocation of the T12 vertebral body and multiple injuries following high-energy trauma but no critical neurological deficits. Read More

Eur Spine J 2016 Apr 25;25(4):1135-43. Epub 2016 Jan 25.

Neurosurgery Division, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo, Av. Ibirapuera, 981, Indianópolis, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Purpose: The AOSpine thoracolumbar (TL) spine injury classification system is based mainly on computed tomography (CT). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of CT scan in the diagnosis of posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) injury in thoracolumbar spine trauma (TLST).

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 43 patients with TLST. Read More

Chin J Traumatol 2015 ;18(4):245-8

Spine Room 1408, Hinduja Clinic, PD Hinduja National Hospital and MRC, Mahim, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400016, India.

Type 2 manubriosternal dislocations with concomitant spinal fracture are rare and may be associated with thoracic visceral injuries. The complication of delayed haemothorax has not been reported yet. We report a case of a young male who suffered manubriosternal dislocation with chance type thoracic spine fracture due to fall of a tree branch over his back. Read More

J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2015 Dec 4;23(12):769-77. Epub 2015 Nov 4.

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the patterns of thoracolumbar spinal fractures sustained by patients in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs).

Design: The Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database was used to analyze prospective data on patients involved in MVCs of moderate severity.

Methods: Thoracolumbar fractures in 631 subjects were analyzed for patient-, vehicle-, and crash-related factors. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2015 Dec 29;22(12):1954-8. Epub 2015 Aug 29.

Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20 Xisi Road, Nantong 226001, China.

Between June 2008 and June 2013, our department treated 16 severe thoracolumbar fracture dislocations (13 male and three female patients; mean age 33.6 years) with a pedicle screw system via an entirely posterior approach. We followed all patients for 18-69 months (mean 35 months). Read More

Int J Clin Exp Med 2015 15;8(6):9751-7. Epub 2015 Jun 15.

Department of Orthopaedics, The 174th Hospital of PLA, Spinal Orthopaedics Center of PLA, Chenggong Hospital of Xiamen University Xiamen 361000, Fujian Province, China.

To analyze the characteristics and treatment of middle-super thoracic fractures associated with the sternum fracture, twenty six patients with middle-super thoracic fractures associated with the sternum fracture were retrospectively reviewed. The intimate information of patients including age, gender, cause of injury, site of the sternal fracture, level and type of thoracic vertebral fracture, spinal cord injury and associated injuries were included in the analysis. There were 12 compressed fractures, 11 fracture-dislocations, two burst fracture and one burst-dislocation in this study. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2015 Aug 25;2015. Epub 2015 Aug 25.

Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.

A 61-year-old woman sustained multiple fractures secondary to the tonic clonic muscular contractions of a seizure. Her injuries included: bilateral proximal humerus posterior fracture dislocations, manubrium fracture, unstable sixth thoracic vertebrae crush fracture, bilateral acetabular fractures and a left femoral neck fracture. Seizures are a rare but recognised cause of fracture. Read More

Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2015 Jun 3;41(3):279-85. Epub 2014 Jun 3.

Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan,

Purpose: To assess the utility of trauma series radiographs in the management of alert pediatric patients with traumatic injury and to ascertain whether it is necessary to acquire the entire trauma series in these children.

Methods: A total of 176 consecutive children below the age of 15 years and having Glasgow Coma Scale score greater than 12, who presented to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital with a history of recent trauma, were retrospectively reviewed. All the children had undergone a thorough clinical examination followed by complete trauma series radiographs, according to the American College of Surgery guidelines. Read More

Eur Spine J 2016 08 8;25(8):2497-513. Epub 2015 May 8.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Command PLA, No. 156, North Xi-er-huan Road, Fuzhou, 350025, China.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of single-stage posterior vertebral column resection for old thoracolumbar fracture-dislocations with spinal cord injury.

Methods: From January 2007 to June 2013, twelve male patients (average age, 32.6 years; range 19-57 years) with old fracture-dislocations of the thoracolumbar spine and spinal cord injury underwent single-stage posterior vertebral column resection and internal fixation. Read More

Zhongguo Gu Shang 2015 Feb;28(2):177-81

Objective: To summary the characteristics of cervicothoracic junction (C7T1) fracture-dislocation,and explore the surgical treatment of combined anterior-posterior procedure.

Methods: From January 2005 to March 2010,8 cases of cervicothoracic junction (C7T1) fracture-dislocation were treated by stage I operation through anterior and posterior approacheg, supplemented by non-structural bone graft. All patients were male with a mean age of 45. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2015 Jun 20;22(6):653-7. Epub 2015 Mar 20.

Department of Neurosurgery, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, Michigan.

Complete dislocation at the thoracolumbar junction is a rare occurrence, with only 4 previously reported cases in 3 separate series. Surgical procedures in the reported cases of spondyloptosis at the thoracolumbar junction have been described using instrumentation, reduction, decompression, and stabilization techniques. In this report the authors' patient presented with spondyloptosis at the thoracolumbar junction, resulting in a T-11 American Spinal Injury Association Grade A injury. Read More

Ir J Med Sci 2016 Nov 21;185(4):949-954. Epub 2014 Dec 21.

Department of Spine Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 N. Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.

Background: Fracture and dislocation of the thoracic spine without neurological deficits are rare. Most of these cases are managed by non-operative methods or a posterior approach surgery.

Aim: To report three cases of fracture and lateral dislocation of the thoracic spine without neurological deficits and review the literature on the management strategy. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2015 Feb;40(4):273

Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, India.

Indian J Orthop 2014 Nov;48(6):568-73

Department of Spine Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P. R. China.

Background: Literature describing the application of modern segmental instrumentation to thoracic and lumbar fracture dislocation injuries is limited and the ideal surgical strategy for this severe trauma remains controversial. The purpose of this article was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of single-stage posterior reduction with segmental instrumentation and interbody fusion to treat this type of injury.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of 30 patients who had sustained fracture dislocation of the spine and underwent single stage posterior surgery between January 2007 and December 2011 was performed. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop 2015 Mar;35(2):136-9

*Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic †Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN.

Background: Limited data exist on pediatric subaxial cervical spine injuries. The goal of this study was to characterize the injuries and initial treatment of a large consecutive series of patients with injuries from C3 to C7.

Methods: Medical records and radiographs of consecutive patients admitted with cervical spine fractures and/or dislocations at a single level 1 pediatric trauma center from 2003 to 2013 were reviewed. Read More

J Am Vet Med Assoc 2014 Nov;245(10):1098-101

Section of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.

J Med Case Rep 2014 Oct 14;8:343. Epub 2014 Oct 14.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Anqing Hospital, Anhui Medical University, 352th Renmin Road, Anqing City, Anhui Province 246003, China.

Introduction: Only a high-energy force can cause thoracic spinal fracture-dislocation injuries, and such injuries should always be suspected in patients with polytrauma. The injury is usually accompanied by neurological symptoms. There are only a few cases of severe thoracic spinal fracture-dislocation without neurological symptoms in the literature, and until now, no case of severe thoracic spinal fracture-dislocation without neurological symptoms and without costal fractures has been reported. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2014 Oct;39(21):E1284-90

*Department of Spine Surgery, Hong Hui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Shan'xi Province, China; and †Department of General Surgery, The 417th Hospital, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), Xi'an, Shan'xi Province, China.

Study Design: A randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Objective: This randomized controlled clinical trial was aimed at comparing the clinical outcomes of combined posteroanterior (P-A) fusion and transforaminal thoracic interbody fusion (TTIF) in cases of thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation.

Summary Of Background Data: The optimal treatment strategy for thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation remains controversial. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2014 Oct 11;21(4):634-9. Epub 2014 Jul 11.

Departments of 1 Trauma, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery and.

Object: Injuries of the subaxial cervical spine including facet joints and posterior ligaments are common. Potential surgical treatments consist of anterior, posterior, or anterior-posterior fixation. Because each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, the best treatment is debated. Read More

PLoS One 2014 14;9(5):e97275. Epub 2014 May 14.

Department of Spine Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.

Objectives: To identify the negative effect on treatment results of reserving damaged intervertebral discs when treating type B and type C spinal fracture-dislocations through a one-stage posterior approach.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of 53 consecutive patients who were treated in our spine surgery center from January 2005 to May 2012 due to severe thoracolumbar spinal fracture-dislocation. The patients in Group A (24 patients) underwent long-segment instrumentation laminectomy with pedicle screw-rod fixators for neural decompression. Read More

Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2014 25;27(4):306-12. Epub 2014 Apr 25.

Rosario Vallefuoco Rosario DVM, CHUVA, Ecole Nationale Veterinaire d'Alfort, Department of Small Animal Surgery, 7 Av. du Gen. de Gaulle, Maisons-Alfort, 94700, France, E-mail:

Objective: To report our clinical experience in the surgical treatment of feline thoraco-lumbar vertebral fracture-luxations using optimal safe implantation corridors as previously described in vitro.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical study.

Materials And Methods: Medical records and radiographs of cats with vertebral fracture-luxations stabilized by screws and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) using optimal safe implantation corridors between 2009 and 2011 were reviewed. Read More

Ochsner J 2014 ;14(1):108-11

Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.

Background: Complete spinal cord lesions and quadriplegia occur in 50%-84% of patients with bilateral facet dislocation. We present a patient who suffered both bilateral facet dislocation and bilateral pedicle fractures while remaining neurologically intact. Based on this case and our literature review, we hypothesize that bilateral facet dislocations without neurological deficits are accompanied by significant associated fractures that facilitate the maintenance of cervical spine canal patency. Read More

Spine J 2014 Oct 31;14(10):2355-65. Epub 2014 Jan 31.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9200 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

Background Context: Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) are a leading cause of thoracic and lumbar (T and L) spine injuries. Mechanisms of injury in vehicular crashes that result in thoracic and lumbar fractures and the spectrum of injury in these occupants have not been extensively studied in the literature.

Purpose: The objective was to investigate the patterns of T and L spine injuries after MVC; correlate these patterns with restraint use, crash characteristics, and demographic variables; and study the associations of these injuries with general injury morbidity and fatality. Read More

Traffic Inj Prev 2014 ;15(7):694-700

a ProBiomechanics LLC , Bloomfield Hills , Michigan.

Purpose: This study estimated the annual count of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in motor vehicles crashes by type and seat belt use using 18 years of NASS-CDS data. It determined the rate for SCI and fracture-dislocation of the spine.

Methods: 1994-2011 NASS-CDS was used to estimate the annual occurrence of spinal injuries in front seat occupants involved in motor vehicle crashes. Read More

Spine J 2014 Jan;14(1):145-64

University of Ioninna, P.O. Box 1186, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.

Background Context: Traumatic fractures of the spine are most common at the thoracolumbar junction and can be a source of great disability.

Purpose: To review the most current information regarding the pathophysiology, injury pattern, treatment options, and outcomes.

Study Design: Literature review. Read More

Turk Neurosurg 2013 ;23(6):803-6

Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Department of Spinal Surgery, Changsha, China.

Orthopedic wires and pins are regularly used for the treatment of dislocations and bone fractures. Migration of these metallic fixation devices into the spinal canal is an uncommon complication. We present a 35-year-old man who underwent thoracic spinal canal migration of a Kirschner wire. Read More

Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 2014 May 25;24(4):443-51. Epub 2013 Oct 25.

First Department of Orthopaedics, Athens University Medical School, ATTIKON University Hospital, 41 Ventouri Street, Holargos, 15562, Athens, Greece.

Purpose: To discuss when and how to operate on thoracic and lumbar spine fractures.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively studied 77 consecutive patients with thoracic and lumbar spine fractures treated from 2000 to 2011; 28 patients experienced high-energy spinal trauma and 49 low-energy spinal trauma. Mean follow-up was 5 years (1-11 years). Read More

Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2013 7;53(12):887-9. Epub 2013 Oct 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, Oncology Training and Research Hospital.

Posttraumatic spondyloptosis develops as a result of complete subluxation of the vertebral bodies and causes complete transection of the spinal cord. Severe trauma-related spondyloptosis of the upper-mid thoracic region is a rare form of spinal trauma. Traumatic midthoracic spondyloptosis is quite rare, and radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2013 Jul 17;19(1):138-9. Epub 2013 May 17.

Spine J 2014 Jan 10;14(1):49-56. Epub 2013 May 10.

Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Ave., Box 359798, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA.

Background Context: Iatrogenic dural tears are common complications encountered in spine surgery with known ramifications. There is little information, however, with respect to the implications and complications of traumatic dural tears.

Purpose: To describe the demographics and characteristics of traumatically acquired dural tears and evaluate the complication rate associated with traumatic dural tears in patients who have undergone surgical treatment for spine injuries. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop 2013 Jun;33(4):393-7

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic, Memphis, TN 38104, USA.

Background: Over half of children and adolescents with spinal trauma have associated injuries, most commonly involving the appendicular skeleton, head and neck, and thorax. The incidence and characteristics of these associated injuries have been well described, but to our knowledge there has been no evaluation of the relationship between the injury characteristics and the patient age.

Methods: Data were obtained from the trauma registries of the local pediatric and adult level 1 trauma centers, and patients aged 0 to 19 years with spinal trauma were identified. Read More

Zhongguo Gu Shang 2012 Dec;25(12):988-91

Department of Spine Surgery, the Sixth Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo 315040, Zhejiang, China.

Objective: To explore efficacy of posterior reduction and interbody fusion in treating thoracolumbar fractures and dislocations.

Methods: From August 2004 to May 2009, 24 patients (18 males and 6 females with an average of 38.2 years, ranged 24 to 56 years old) were treated. Read More

J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 Apr;74(4):1112-8

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX 79920, USA.

Background: This study sought to characterize spine injuries among soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan whose autopsy results were stored by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.

Methods: The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System data set was queried to identify American military personnel who sustained a spine injury in conjunction with wounds that resulted in death during deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan from 2003 to 2011. Demographic and injury-specific characteristics were abstracted for each individual identified. Read More

J Spinal Disord Tech 2013 Aug;26(6):E209-14

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chubu Rosai Hospital, Japan Labor Health and Welfare Organization, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.

Study Design: A case-control clinical study.

Objectives: To assess the usefulness and safety of a novel reconstructive procedure known as transforaminal thoracic interbody fusion (TTIF) in the treatment of lower thoracic spine fracture dislocations, and to compare its efficacy with posterior/anterior combined surgery (PACS).

Summary Of Background Data: We developed a TTIF procedure for thoracic spine lesions, and obtained good clinical outcomes for degenerative disorders of the thoracic spine. Read More

World Neurosurg 2013 Nov 12;80(5):e41-3. Epub 2012 Dec 12.

Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Objectives: Different mechanisms are introduced for various kinds of spine fractures. Falls from walnut trees are a major cause of spine fracture, with a high rate of mortality and significant deficits in young male workers. The aim of this study was to define the rate of cervical fractures and pattern of fractures in falls from walnut trees and to compare with other types of falls in the literature, which seem to have different mechanisms. Read More

Spine J 2012 Nov;12(11):e5-8

Stanford University Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA 94305-2200, USA.

Background Context: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a major subtype of the spondyloarthropathies. Uncoupling of bone formation and resorption along with ectopic ossification of paraspinal soft-tissue structures alters the biomechanics of the spine and leads to an increased susceptibility to fracture.

Purpose: To report on a thoracolumbar fracture dislocation sustained in a 33-year-old Gravida 2/Para 2 woman, which occurred during labor. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2013 Feb 23;18(2):194-200. Epub 2012 Nov 23.

Hospital de Emergência e Trauma Senador Humberto Lucena, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.

Vertebral resection with spine shortening has been primarily reported for the treatment of demanding cases of nontraumatic disorders. Recently, this technique has been applied to the treatment of traumatic disorders. The current treatment of vertebral fracture-dislocation when there is partial or total telescoping of the involved vertebrae is a combined anterior-posterior approach with corpectomy, anterior support implant, and further posterior instrumentation. Read More

N Engl J Med 2012 Nov;367(20):1939

James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom.