Comparison of Anterior and Posterior Decompressions in Treatment of Traumatic Thoracolumbar Spinal Fractures Complicated with Spinal Cord Injury

BACKGROUND: For patients with thoracolumbar spinal fractures complicated with spinal cord injury, timely surgery is the first choice. We compared the effects of anterior and posterior decompressions in treatment of these patients. MATERIAL/METHODS: A total of 80 male patients with traumatic thoracolumbar spinal fractures and spinal cord injury were prospectively selected and divided into 2 groups. The control group underwent posterior decompression and internal fixation and the observation group underwent real-time anterior decompression. RESULTS: The observation group had longer operative time and length of postoperative hospital stay, larger intraoperative blood loss, remarkably greater immediate postoperative anterior height and middle column height of the fractured vertebrae, and a notably smaller Cobb’s angle than in the control group. The total ASIA score was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group immediately after surgery and at 6 months and 1 year after surgery. The maximal urine flow, maximal detrusor pressure, and bladder compliance were also evidently higher in the observation group than in the control group during 1 year of follow-up. Compared with the control group, the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score in the observation group was significantly higher at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the posterior approach, anterior decompression in patients with thoracolumbar spinal fractures complicated with spinal cord injury can effectually enhance the surgical efficiency, and restore the physiological anatomy of the fractured vertebrae, thereby improving patient quality of life.