Spine Trauma
A 45-year-old construction worker falls 4 meters from scaffolding, landing on his feet. He presents with severe lower back pain localized to the L1 region. Neurological examination reveals intact lower extremity motor and sensory function. CT scan demonstrates a burst fracture at L1 with 60% canal compromise from retropulsed posterior vertebral body fragments. The vertebral body shows severe comminution with greater than 50% loss of height. MRI shows no evidence of posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) injury. Load-sharing classification (LSC) score is calculated at 8. Regarding this injury:
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Burst fractures are distinguished from compression fractures by involvement of the middle column (po...
The presence of 60% canal compromise is an absolute indication for surgical decompression regardless...
A load-sharing classification (LSC) score of 8 predicts high failure rates with short-segment poster...
The posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) is the primary determinant of stability in burst fractures a...
The thoracolumbar junction (T11-L2) is the most common location for burst fractures due to transitio...
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