Percutaneous Pedicle Screws Fixation in Management ofDorsal and Lumbar Spine Fractures

Background: Percutaneous pedicle screws fixation is a minimally invasive spine surgeryoffers the patient benefits of decreased blood loss, fewer complications and more rapidreturn to daily activity. Objectives: to evaluate percutaneous fixation as a surgicalprocedure in treatment of dorsal and lumbar spine fractures and clinicaloutcome.Patients and Methods: This study included thirty patients with traumaticthoracolumbar fractures. These patients were treated by percutaneous pedicle screwsfixation. This study was conducted in Cairo University Hospitals from June 2011 toFebruary 2014. The age varied from 20yrs to 47 yrs with a mean age of 27.8 yrs. In thisstudy, there were eighteen males and twelve females. Results: Twenty one casesoperated by Sextant system and nine cases operated by WSH system of Neuro-France.The mechanism of injury was falling from a height in ten patients (33.3%) and motor caraccidents in twenty patients (66.6%). Only one case with Sextant system had pulled outscrew on follow up X-ray and CT one day after surgery. Thepatient had open surgery forsystem removal and open fixation on the following day. There were two screws breachedonly the lateral cortex of the pedicle in two different patients. Conclusion: Percutaneousspine fixation is a safe technique for treatment of thoracolumbar wedge and burstfractures with no neurological affection. It has the advantage of short time surgery, noblood loss, no muscle damage. Moreover, improvement of preoperative pain, increasedthe ability to return to normal work and short hospital stay are important benefits ofpercutaneous spine fixation.