Treatment of Thoracolumbar Type A3 Fractures Using a Percutaneous Intravertebral Expandable Titanium Implant: Long-term Follow-up Results of a Pilot Single Center Study.

BACKGROUND

There are controversies about the optimal management of AO subtype A3 burst fractures. The most common surgical treatment consists of posterior fixation with pedicle screw and rod augmentation. Nevertheless, a loss of correction in height restoration and kyphotic reduction has been observed.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess long-term outcomes of a minimally invasive technique using a percutaneous intravertebral expandable titanium implant (PIETI).

STUDY

DESIGN

This prospective, single center, pilot study was carried out on a consecutive case series of 44 patients with acute (< 2 weeks) traumatic thoracolumbar fractures AO type A3. The average follow-up was 5.6 years.

SETTING

A single center in Castilla y Leon, SpainMETHODS: Clinical outcomes (pain intensity on visual analog scale [VAS], Oswestry Disability Index [ODI], analgesic consumption) and radiographic outcomes (anterior/mid/posterior vertebral body height, vertebral area, local kyphosis angle, traumatic regional angulation) were analyzed before surgery, at one month after surgery, and at the end of the follow-up period.

RESULTS

At one-month postsurgery, significant improvements in VAS score and ODI score were observed. PIETI achieved significant vertebral body height restoration with median height increases of 2.9 mm/4.3 mm/2.3 mm for anterior/middle/posterior parts, respectively. Significant correction of the local kyphotic angle and improvement of the traumatic regional angulation were accomplished. All these improvements were maintained throughout the follow-up period. The only complication reported was a case of cement leakage.

LIMITATIONS: In our opinion, the main limitation of the study is the small number of patients. However, the sample is superior to that shown in other papers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that using a PIETI in the treatment of fractures type A3 is a safe and effective method that allows marked clinical improvement, as well as anatomical vertebral body restoration. Unlike with other treatments, results were maintained over time, allowing a better long-term clinical and functional improvement. The rate of cement leakage was lower than other reports.