Early self-rehabilitation in thoracolumbar fractures (a guide for patients).

The authors report the purposes and the contents of a guide entitled "Early self-rehabilitation in thoracolumbar fractures" currently used at the Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology in the Macerata hospital, for patients affected with somatic "benign" fractures of the thoracolumbar passage (from T10 to L3). With elementary language and the support of simple images, several indications are given as to the anatomy and function of the column and its features, and the type of treatment used for fractures, so that the patient is aware of his or her lesion; the guide then becomes an actual manual for early and independent functional rehabilitation, capable of improving the physical and psychological state of the patient, in addition to favoring and accelerating healing. According to the authors, this study is useful in perfecting the relationship between physician and patient in the field of injuries of the vertebral column, which is often characterized by confusion and fear.