Abstract
Aims: To investigate the clinical importance of the fracture of lumbar vertebral transverse processes and to þnd out if any correlations exists between the side and the level of the transverse processes fractures and speciþc intraabdominal organ injuries. Methods: 106 patients, sustained different kinds of trauma between January 2000 and January 2001, were included in the study. All patients were operated for intra abdominal causes. Of these 62 (%58) had one or more fractured lumbar transverse processes documented (group I) and remaining 44 had not (group II). Age, gender, additional skeletal and intra abdominal injuries, ISS, laboratory tests results at presentation, transfusion needs and the end results were compared using SPSS 10,0 package. Results: Patients with transverse process fractures were older (38 versus 27, p=0,001). Trauma causes, ISS, additional systemic traumas, skeletal traumas were not different between groups (p values are; 0,148, 0,125, 0,423, 0,673 respectively). However, hemoglobin levels, intra abdominal organ injuries, total hospital stay and end results were signiþcantly different in group I (p= 0,005, 0,042, 0,002 and 0,012). Left sided fractures were well correlated with the spleen, and right sided fractures were similarly correlated with the presence of hepatic injuries. Conclusions: Although lumbar transverse process fractures do not directly relate with vertebral stability, the presence of such a fracture should alert physicians. Especially in multiply injured patients, lumbar vertebra transverse process fracture predisposes more serious intra or retroperitoneal organ injuries.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
