Journal of Musculoskeletal Trauma

Original Articles

Injury Severity and Patterns of Accompanying Injury in Spinal Fracture: Hun Park, Kyung Jin Song, Kwang Bok Lee, Joo Hyun Sim; J Korean Fract Soc 2012;25(3):203-207. Published online July 31, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2012.25.3.203

PURPOSE
To examine the relationship between injury severity and patterns of associated injury in spinal fracture.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From March 2004 to March 2010, a retrospective study was conducted on 291 patients who had undergone surgeries due to spinal fractures. Spinal fractures were categorized as upper cervical, lower cervical, thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar region, and the severity of fracture was measured using the Abbreviated Injury Scale and Injury Severity Score (ISS). We evaluated the correlation between the fracture site and the incidence and injury severity of the associated injury, and compared the neurologic damage according to the presence/absence of the associated injury.
RESULTS
Spinal fracture occurred in the thoracic (43.5%) and lower cervical (30.0%) levels, and associated injury developed in 134 patients (47%). The area of associated injury was in the extremity (41.2%), thorax (25.5%), head, neck, and face (21.9%). Lower cervical fracture (34.5%) had a lower prevalence than thoracic (81%) and lumbar fracture (61%). The average ISS of the associated injury was 17.14 for the thoracic fracture, 12.30 for the lower cervical fracture, 8.7 for the thoracolumbar fracture and 5.69 for the lumbar fracture. Neurologic damage was highly frequent in the lower cervical fracture and included 54 patients (62.1%) and was less frequent in the upper cervical fracture, which included 7 patients (17.9%) (p=0.032).
CONCLUSION
Although the associated injury was less frequent in the lower cervical spine among the spinal fractures that underwent surgical treatment, there was a high risk of neurologic damage in the case of associated injury; therefore, there is a need to pay special attention to patients that suffer damage in this area. In addition, since the degree of the associated injury in the thoracic and lower cervical fracture is significant, an appropriate management strategy for the associated injury must be considered.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

The Clinical Effects of Complex Korean Medicine Treatment in Patients with Cervical Spine Fracture Caused by Traffic Accident: A Report of 2 Cases
Si-Hoon Han, Gi-Eon Lee, Kyeong-Sang Jo, Da-Young Byun, Min-Seok Oh
Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation.2018; 28(2): 113. CrossRef
Clinical results of early stabilization of spine fractures in polytrauma patients
Ki-Chul Park, Ye-Soo Park, Wan-Sik Seo, Jun-Ki Moon, Bo-Hyun Kim
Journal of Critical Care.2014; 29(4): 694.e7. CrossRef

175 View
0 Download
2 Crossref

Differences of Fracture Types and Associated Injuries in Thoracolumbar Fractures Caused by Fall from Height and by In-Car Accident: Eui Sung Choi, Yong Min Kim, Dong Soo Kim, Kyung Jin Park, Kyeong Il Jeong, Yoon Moo Hur, Young Chan Cha, Jun Mo Jeon, Jong Won VKang; J Korean Fract Soc 2005;18(2):176-180. Published online April 30, 2005; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2005.18.2.176

Abstract PDF

PURPOSE
To evaluate the differences of associated factors in thoracolumbar fractures according to the mechanism of injury, level and type of the fracture, associated injuries were investigated for comparison between injuries by fall from height and by in-car accident injury.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Medical records and X-ray findings of 249 patients with fractures of thoracolumbar spine were reviewed retrospectively. Among them, 169 patients were injured by the two main causes. McAfee classification was adopted to determine the type of fracture. Associated injuries were classified as head and neck, chest and abdomen, pelvis, proximal and distal extremity, and neurologic deficit. Statistical analysis using Chi-square method was used for comparison between the two groups.
RESULTS
In overall patients, the most common cause of thoracolumbar fracture was fall from height (44.6%) followed by in-car accident (23.3%) and fall down (16.9%). In fall-from height gruoup, burst fracture was the most common (44.1%) while flexion-distraction injury was the most popular (39.7%) in in-car accident group (p=0.05). Comparison according to height of fall showed significant increase of multiple fractures (p=0.0326). Associated injuries of distal lower and upper extremities and pelvis were common in fall-from-height group, while injuries of head and neck, proximal part of upper extremity, chest and abdomen were common in in-car accident patients.
CONCLUSION
Type of fracture and distribution of associated injuries were significantly different between the two main causes of thoracolumbar injury, which seemed to be useful for understanding the mechanical events of injury and detecting associated injuries in each victim.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Injury Severity and Patterns of Accompanying Injury in Spinal Fracture
Hun Park, Kyung-Jin Song, Kwang-Bok Lee, Joo-Hyun Sim
Journal of the Korean Fracture Society.2012; 25(3): 203. CrossRef
Differences in Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures by Falls from Height with Associated Foot and Ankle Fractures
Chung-Shik Shin, Eea-Sub Chung, Chang-Eon Yu, Byeong-Yeol Choi
Journal of Korean Society of Spine Surgery.2012; 19(2): 47. CrossRef

191 View
1 Download
2 Crossref

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search