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Injuries Associated with Thoracolumbar Fractures
Abstract
Background: Thoracolumbar fractures are high energy injuries with attendant co-morbidities.
Objective: To determine the injuries associated with thoracolumbar fractures at the Moi Teaching and
Referral Hospital.
Setting: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya.
Methodology: The records of all patients admitted with thoracolumbar fractures between July 2011 and
February 2014, in the orthopaedic and neurosurgery departments of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital,
were retrieved and analyzed.
Results: A total of 32 cases had been admitted with fractures of the thoracolumbar spine over the study
period. Neurologic injury was associated with a thoracolumbar fracture in two-thirds of cases. An associated
non-spinal injury was found in 37.5% of cases. Most of these injuries (77%) involved the extremities. The
most common non-spinal injury was a lower limb fracture (40%). Thirty six per cent of these non-spinal
injuries were open fractures.
Conclusions: One third of thoracolumbar fracture cases have an associated non-spinal injury. Majority of
these injuries involve the extremities, with one third of them being open fractures. The clinician needs to
detect these open fractures because they will frequently need urgent debridement.
Objective: To determine the injuries associated with thoracolumbar fractures at the Moi Teaching and
Referral Hospital.
Setting: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya.
Methodology: The records of all patients admitted with thoracolumbar fractures between July 2011 and
February 2014, in the orthopaedic and neurosurgery departments of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital,
were retrieved and analyzed.
Results: A total of 32 cases had been admitted with fractures of the thoracolumbar spine over the study
period. Neurologic injury was associated with a thoracolumbar fracture in two-thirds of cases. An associated
non-spinal injury was found in 37.5% of cases. Most of these injuries (77%) involved the extremities. The
most common non-spinal injury was a lower limb fracture (40%). Thirty six per cent of these non-spinal
injuries were open fractures.
Conclusions: One third of thoracolumbar fracture cases have an associated non-spinal injury. Majority of
these injuries involve the extremities, with one third of them being open fractures. The clinician needs to
detect these open fractures because they will frequently need urgent debridement.
