Osteoarthritis and spontaneous fusion of facet joints after percutaneous instrumentation in thoracolumbar fractures.

Purpose: This retrospective study determined the rate of osteoarthritis and spontaneous facet joint fusion and analyzed risk factors related to patient characteristics, fracture type or surgical technique on pre- and postoperative CT after percutaneous instrumentation in thoracolumbar fractures.

Methods: 1050 facet joints adjacent to screws in 148 patients (15-85 years) with thoracolumbar fractures were analyzed with an average time between CTs of 12.3 months.