Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients

Introduction: Traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures are the most common spinal injuries and the proper treatment is controversial. In central Europe in particular, these fractures are often treated with minimally invasive anterior-posterior reduction and fusion, whereas a conservative approach is...

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Main Authors: Fabian Cedric Aregger, Sebastian Kreuzer, Sonja Häckel, Sebastian Frederick Bigdon, Christian Tinner, Georg Erbach, Moritz Caspar Deml, Christoph Emanuel Albers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Brain and Spine
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529424000183
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author Fabian Cedric Aregger
Sebastian Kreuzer
Sonja Häckel
Sebastian Frederick Bigdon
Christian Tinner
Georg Erbach
Moritz Caspar Deml
Christoph Emanuel Albers
author_facet Fabian Cedric Aregger
Sebastian Kreuzer
Sonja Häckel
Sebastian Frederick Bigdon
Christian Tinner
Georg Erbach
Moritz Caspar Deml
Christoph Emanuel Albers
author_sort Fabian Cedric Aregger
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures are the most common spinal injuries and the proper treatment is controversial. In central Europe in particular, these fractures are often treated with minimally invasive anterior-posterior reduction and fusion, whereas a conservative approach is preferred in the USA. Independent of the treatment strategy, no data exists regarding the outcome related to return to activity level/sport. Research question: The aim of this study was to evaluate the return to sports and activity levels after 360° fusion in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological deficits. Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2022, 46 patients aged 18 to 40 years underwent partial or complete vertebral body replacement in the thoracolumbar region due to traumatic burst fractures without neurologic deficit as an isolated injury. Patients were contacted retrospectively by phone calls to assess their activities using a modified version of the Tegner activity scale at different time points: Before trauma, 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery. Results: After applying exclusion criteria, data collection was complete for 28 patients. The median modified Tegner activity scale was 5.4 before sustaining the fracture, declined to 2.9 at three months post-trauma, improved to 4.2 at six months, and reached 5.0 at 12 months. The majority (83%) of patients achieved their pre-accident activity level within 12 months. No significant differences were observed between patients with partial or complete corpectomy. Conclusion: This is the first study assessing return to sports/physical activity based on the modified Tegner scale in young patients undergoing 360° fusion for spinal burst fractures. The majority of patients (83%) return to the pre-injury activity level within 12 months after surgery.
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spelling doaj-art-95ea345fa06d4509aa8ee0b7d6a1730b2025-08-20T02:35:40ZengElsevierBrain and Spine2772-52942024-01-01410276210.1016/j.bas.2024.102762Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patientsFabian Cedric Aregger0Sebastian Kreuzer1Sonja Häckel2Sebastian Frederick Bigdon3Christian Tinner4Georg Erbach5Moritz Caspar Deml6Christoph Emanuel Albers7Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Corresponding author. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Spital Thun, Thun, SwitzerlandDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandIntroduction: Traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures are the most common spinal injuries and the proper treatment is controversial. In central Europe in particular, these fractures are often treated with minimally invasive anterior-posterior reduction and fusion, whereas a conservative approach is preferred in the USA. Independent of the treatment strategy, no data exists regarding the outcome related to return to activity level/sport. Research question: The aim of this study was to evaluate the return to sports and activity levels after 360° fusion in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological deficits. Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2022, 46 patients aged 18 to 40 years underwent partial or complete vertebral body replacement in the thoracolumbar region due to traumatic burst fractures without neurologic deficit as an isolated injury. Patients were contacted retrospectively by phone calls to assess their activities using a modified version of the Tegner activity scale at different time points: Before trauma, 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery. Results: After applying exclusion criteria, data collection was complete for 28 patients. The median modified Tegner activity scale was 5.4 before sustaining the fracture, declined to 2.9 at three months post-trauma, improved to 4.2 at six months, and reached 5.0 at 12 months. The majority (83%) of patients achieved their pre-accident activity level within 12 months. No significant differences were observed between patients with partial or complete corpectomy. Conclusion: This is the first study assessing return to sports/physical activity based on the modified Tegner scale in young patients undergoing 360° fusion for spinal burst fractures. The majority of patients (83%) return to the pre-injury activity level within 12 months after surgery.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529424000183Spinal injuriesBurst fracturesReturn to workReturn to sports360° fusion
spellingShingle Fabian Cedric Aregger
Sebastian Kreuzer
Sonja Häckel
Sebastian Frederick Bigdon
Christian Tinner
Georg Erbach
Moritz Caspar Deml
Christoph Emanuel Albers
Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
Brain and Spine
Spinal injuries
Burst fractures
Return to work
Return to sports
360° fusion
title Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
title_full Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
title_fullStr Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
title_full_unstemmed Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
title_short Return to sports/activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
title_sort return to sports activity level after 360° thoracolumbar fusion after burst fractures in young patients
topic Spinal injuries
Burst fractures
Return to work
Return to sports
360° fusion
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529424000183
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