Balloon kyphoplasty and percutaneous fixation of lumbar fractures in pediatric patients.

PURPOSE: Type A fractures of the spine requiring operative stabilization are rare injuries in the pediatric population. Current reports have demonstrated the safety of the combination of balloon kyphoplasty and minimal invasive management of thoraco-lumbar fractures in adults. There is no information about the efficacy of this approach in managing pediatric vertebral fractures.

METHODS

The aim of the present study was to report the outcome of a small series of children with A fractures of the lumbar spine treated with the combination of the abovementioned techniques.

RESULTS

Three male patients without neurological deficits aged 11, 12 and 14 years were treated with fractures located at L1, L1/L2 and L2/L3, respectively. In total, six kyphoplasties were performed (monolateral in 4 vertebrae, bilateral in one vertebra). Neither cases of cement leakage nor intra- or postoperative complications were noted. Minimally invasive kyphoplasty and stabilization led to a significant improvement of the sagittal index of all five treated vertebrae which could be maintained at follow-up (14, 19 and 20 months postoperatively).

CONCLUSION

This study is the first one to present an excellent outcome of children with type A fractures treated with a combination of balloon kyphoplasty and percutaneous stabilization.