A4 Thoracolumbar Fracture Class Is Associated With a Greater Degree of Vertebral Height Loss in Conservatively Managed Patients.

Introduction: Thoracolumbar (TL) junction fractures are common, often resulting from high-energy trauma or osteoporosis, and may lead to neurological deficits, deformities, or chronic pain. Treatment decisions for neurologically intact patients remain controversial, with nonsurgical management often favored. The AO classification system has been used to characterize thoracolumbar fractures using fracture morphology and clinical factors affecting clinical decision-making for fracture management.

The Spaghetti Sign: Nerve Root Redundancy in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

Objective: Redundant nerve roots (RNRs) seen in conjunction with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are well-described radiographic findings. Several studies suggest their presence may be a negative prognostic indicator of postoperative outcome. Our hypothesis was that severe RNR (informally known as the spaghetti sign [SS]) can serve as a reliable marker of LSS that would benefit from surgical decompression.