Combined Abdominal and Spine Injuries after High Energy Flexion-Distraction Trauma.

Combined abdominal (AT) and spine (ST) trauma in the multiply traumatized patient (MT) requires optimal clinical management. At the Traumacenter Murnau, Germany all multiply injured patients (injury severity score ≥ 16) are registered in a large prospective database (DGU-Tramaregister). From 1 January 2002 until 31 December 2004, 731 multiply injured patients (ISS ≥ 16) were admitted to the Trauma Center Murnau.

Transcostovertebral kyphoplasty of the mid and high thoracic spine.

While Kyphoplasty is increasingly becoming a recognised minimally invasive treatment option for osteoporotic vertebral fractures and neoplastic vertebral collapse, the experience in the treatment of vertebrae of the mid (T5-8)- and high (T1-4) thoracic levels is limited. The slender pedicle morphology restricts the transpedicular approach at these levels, necessitating extrapedicular placement techniques. Fifty five vertebrae of 32 consecutive patients were treated with kyphoplasty at levels ranging from T2-T8 for vertebral fractures (27 patients) or osteolytic collapse (5 patients).

The role of thoracoscopic spinal surgery in the management of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis.

Study Design: Case report, operative technique.

Objectives: Vertebral osteomyelitis is frequently associated with elderly and debilitated patients who have significant medical comorbidities. If surgical debridement is contemplated, an open anterior approach like a thoracotomy can be associated with significant complications in this patient population.

Thoracoscopic transdiaphragmatic approach to thoracolumbar junction fractures.

Background Context: Anterior approaches to the thoracocolmbar junction (TLJ) are often required to restore anterior column deficiency after spinal trauma. Conventional open approaches are often associated with significant morbidity, and hence there is a need for a minimally invasive approach to TLJ fractures.

Purpose: To report the feasibility and effectiveness of the thoracoscopic transdiaphragmatic approach (TTA) in the management of TLJ fractures.

Psoas abscess: the spine as a primary source of infection.

Study Design: Case report, literature review, discussion.

Objectives: To emphasize the role of the spine as primary source of infection for psoas abscess.

Summary Of Background Data: Spine-associated psoas abscesses increase with more frequent invasive procedures of the spine and recurring tuberculosis in industrialized countries.

Thoracoscopic-assisted treatment of thoracic and lumbar fractures: a series of 371 consecutive cases.

Objective: Conventional approaches for the treatment of thoracic and thoracolumbar fractures require extensive surgical exposure, often leading to significant postoperative pain and morbidity. Thoracoscopic spinal surgery was performed to reduce the morbidity of these approaches while still achieving the primary goals of spinal decompression, reconstruction, and stabilization.

Methods: Between May 1996 and May 2001, 371 patients with fractures of the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine (T3-L3) were treated with a thoracoscopically assisted procedure.