The progressive kyphosis and pain in patients with acute thoracolumbar burst fractures treated conservatively so as the recurrent kyphosis after posterior reduction and fixation were associated to disc collapse rather than vertebral body compression. It depends on redistribution of the disc tissue in the changed morphology of the space after fractures of the endplate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of balloon kyphoplasty with calcium phosphate, alone or associated to short posterior instrumentation, in the treatment of acute thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Eleven fractures in ten consecutive patients with an average age of 48 years who sustained acute thoracolumbar traumatic burst fractures without neurological deficits were included in this study. The fractures were A1.2 (3), A3.1 (4) and A3.2 (4), according to AO classification. In 7 fractures (A1.2 and A3.1) the kyphopasty was performed alone in order to make the most of efficacy in fracture reduction, anterior and medium column stabilization and, as much as possible, segmental kyphosis correction. In the A3.2 fractures (4), that are unstable, the kyphoplasty was associated to a short posterior instrumentation. To avoid the PMMA long run complications in younger patients, we used a calcium phosphate cement. VAS, SF-36, Roland-Morris questionnaire (RMQ) and Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire (ODQ) were used to evaluate pain, state of health, functional outcomes and spine disability.

To the average follow-up time of 15.5 months (range 8–31) we did not observe statistically significant differences in 7 of 8 SF-36 domains in comparison to general healthy population of same sex and age. At the same follow-up, the spine disability questionnaire showed a functional restriction of 18% (ODQ) and 29,6% (RMQ) being 100% the maximum of disability. No bone cement leakage, no implant failure and no height correction loss were observed in any case.

Our data confirm the safety and the efficacy of ballon kyphoplasty with calcium phosphate in the treatment of acute thoracolumbar burst fractures. In this way we can reduce the possible complications resulted from discal space collapse and obtain an early functional restoration. When performed alone, this mini invasive surgical technique offer the advantage of almost immediate return to daily activities. When associated to posterior instrumentation, it decreases the long run complications and allows to reduce the number of stabilized levels, maintaining, in part, the thoracolumbar junction movement.