Emergency department approach to acute thoracolumbar spine injury.

This review provides a literature-based approach to the management of acute thoracolumbar spine (TLS) injury. The epidemiology of spinal cord injury and pertinent spinal cord anatomy are reviewed. A review of current TLS fracture/dislocation classification schemes is provided. The principal focus of this review is the immediate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions needed to maximize the recovery of patients with acute TLS injury.