Distraction fractures of the upper lumbar spine are most often associated with the wearing of seat-belts. Twenty patients with this spinal fracture were reviewed and half of them had intra-abdominal injuries. Eight patients required an exploratory laparotomy. Three distinct patterns of distraction fractures have been identified. Open reduction, local spinal fusion and Harrington instrumentation...

In order to determine the prevalence and severity of hepatic osteodystrophy by non-invasive means we compared 115 consecutive ambulant patients with histologically proven chronic liver disease to 113 age and sex matched control subjects. Methods used included the assessment of fracture prevalence rates, spinal radiography, and measurements of bone mineral density in the spine and the forearm. S...

Cervical fractures are rare in paediatric population. In younger children, cervical fractures usually occur above the level of C4; whereas in older population, fractures or dislocations more commonly involve the lower cervical spine. Greater elasticity of intervertebral ligaments and also the spinal vertebrae explains why cervical fractures in paediatric ages are rare. The injury usually result...

INTRODUCTION Osteoporosis, the most common metabolic disorder, can eventually lead to fragility fractures. Of all osteoporotic fractures, vertebral wedge fractures are the most common. They are associated with pain, a decrease in quality of life, and a change in spinal alignment. The changed spinal alignment increases the chance of subsequent fractures: a wedge fracture changes the loading dire...

A 53-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was found unresponsive on the ground. He was comatose and quadriplegic with absent cough and gag reflexes but preserved corneal and pupillary responses. CT of the spine (figure) showed displaced C2 fracture, severely deformed spinal cord, and complete spinal ankylosis. He developed hemodynamic instability with persistently poor arousal, and his...

To analyze the characteristics and treatment of middle-super thoracic fractures associated with the sternum fracture, twenty six patients with middle-super thoracic fractures associated with the sternum fracture were retrospectively reviewed. The intimate information of patients including age, gender, cause of injury, site of the sternal fracture, level and type of thoracic vertebral fracture, ...

Hip fractures in elderly patients can lead to lifethreatening complications and increased mortality1,2. The geriatric population in Taiwan, comprising almost 10% of the whole population in 2008, is progressively increasing3. Although recovery is slow, surgery is generally very effective for the repair of hip fractures. General and spinal anesthesia are the predominant forms of anesthesia employ...

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) has become very soon after its introduction one of the routine imaging techniques in the evaluation of brain disorders. Due to the technical difficulties DWI has been rarely performed in the spine and spinal cord, and the experience and knowledge is limited. The first enthusiastic article describing the use of DWI imaging for differentiation of benign from ma...

Every physician who treats injured patients has a responsibility to detect and appropriately manage thoracolumbar spinal column injuries. Fractures of the thoracolumbar spine are relatively common, so clinicians must give them every consideration both to protect from secondary spinal cord injury and to appreciate the extent of the patient's injuries. Other extraspinal as well as noncontiguous i...