Purpose of the study: The treatment of thoracolumbar fractures has evolved over the last five years with cementoplasty percutaneous osteosynthesis in addition to the gold standard orthopaedic or surgical treatments. This percutaneous method preserves muscles and maintains reduction to healing. The purpose of this work was to evaluate our results in traumatology patients after five years experience, deducting our current indications.

Material and methods: From February 2004 to February 2009, we included 60 patients with a type A or B2 thoracolumbar fracture free of neurological problems and who had more than 10° kyphosis. Reduction was achieved in hyperlordosis before the percutaneous procedure. In other cases we used open arthrodesis. This was a retrospective analysis of a consecutive monocentre series including 37 men and 23 women, mean age 37 years. The injury was L1 and T12 in the majority. Classification was A1 and A3 for the majority. Osteosynthesis was achieved with an aiming compass and radioscopy. A removable corset was used as needed. Reduction and position of the screws as well as need for a complementary anterior fixation were assessed on the postoperative scan. Clinically, follow-up measured pain and quality of life (VAS and Oswestry), radiographically, vertebral kyphosis.

Results: Mean follow-up was 24 months. At last follow-up, the VAS was 15/100 and the Oswestry 16/100. Material was removed in ten patients. Early in our experience one patient developed neurological problems postoperatively requiring revision surgery. Postoperative vertebral kyphosis was stable at three months and was sustained at two years. Body healing was successful in all cases. There were no cases of material failure.

Discussion: This is a reliable reproducible technique in the hands of a spinal surgeon. Material removal can be proposed about one year after implantation. After the age of 65 years, we favour cementoplasty. For others, we propose a sextant for A1, A2, A3 or B2 fractures with more than 15° vertebral kyphosis. This percutaneous material had major advantages for tumour surgery, for multiple injury patients and for traumatology (especially when a double approach is used).

Conclusion: Percutaneous osteosynthesis of vertebral fractures is now the gold standard for well defined indications. Two therapeutic fundamentals are reduction on the operative table and preservation of the muscle stock. These satisfactory results should be confirmed after removal of the implants.