Retrospective review of eighteen patients with sacral fracture dislocations and cauda equina deficits treated with posterior sacral decompression and lumbopelvic fixation. At mean nineteen-month follow-up, all fractures healed without loss of alignment despite immediate full weight-bearing. Fifteen patients (83%) improved neurologically, and ten patients (56%) had full bowel/ bladder recovery. Complications consisted mainly of infection (17%) and asymptomatic rod breakage (33%). This series demonstrates the clinical effectiveness of lumbopelvic fixation, allowing the application to sacral injuries of decompression and fixation principles commonly used in fractures with neurologic deficits that occur in more rostral areas of the spine.

To evaluate the results of sacral decompression and lumbopelvic fixation for sacral fracture-dislocations with neurologic deficits.

Lumbopelvic fixation provided the stability necessary for full weight-bearing without loss of fracture reduction despite extensive sacral decompression. The functional neurologic improvement in most patients and complete neurologic recovery in all but one patient with intact lumbosacral roots are encouraging. The effectiveness of lumbopelvic fixation facilitates the application of principles of early decompression and stabilization to sacral fracture-dislocations.

Sacral fractures healed in all eighteen patients without loss of reduction. Average sacral kyphosis improved from forty-one to twenty-four degrees. Fifteen patients (83%) had normalization or improvement of bowel and bladder deficits, although only ten patients (56%) had improved Gibbons scores. Average Gibbons type improved from four to 2.8 at nineteen-month average follow-up. Rod breakage (33%) and infection (17%) were the most common complications. Recovery of bowel and bladder function was less likely in patients with disruption of any lumbosacral root (36% vs. 86%, p=.066) and complete deficits (47% vs. 100%, p=.241) although the small cohort size precluded statistical significance.

Retrospective review of medical records, radiographs, and prospectively collected data of eighteen consecutive patients with sacral fracture-dislocations and cauda equina deficits identified between 1997 and 2002 through institutional databases. Treatment consisted of open reduction, sacral decompression and lumbopelvic fixation. Radiographic and clinical results of treatment were evaluated. Neurologic outcome was measured by Gibbons’ criteria.

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Introduction Sacral fracture-dislocations with cauda equina deficits are high-energy injuries, the treatment of which is controversial. The effect of early decompression and stabilization is unclear. Neurologic recovery has not been objectively evaluated in past series, putting into question reported recovery rates. Sacral anatomic constraints make standard principles of fracture reduction, neural decompression and stable fixation difficult to apply. Lumbo-pelvic fixation allows indirect fracture stabilization by transferring loads directly from the acetabulum to the lumbar spine, thus avoiding the difficulties inherent in achieving sacral fixation. The purpose of this study was to determine the results of sacral decompression and lumbo-pelvic fixation for sacral fracture-dislocations, with neurologic deficits, using an objective method to evaluate neurologic recovery.

Methods We have carried out a complete retrospective review of all medical records, original radiographs, and prospectively collected data of 18 consecutive patients with sacral fracture-dislocations and cauda equina deficits identified between 1997 and 2002 through institutional spine and trauma databases. Fractures were classified according to Denis (1), Roy-Camille (2) and Strange-Vognsen (3). All were treated with open reduction, sacral decompression and lumbopelvic fixation. Radiographic and clinical results of treatment were evaluated. Neurologic outcome was measured by Gibbons’ criteria (4).

Results Sacral fractures healed in all 18 patients without loss of reduction. Average sacral kyphosis improved from 41° to 24°. Fifteen patients (83%) had normalization or improvement of bowel and bladder deficits, although only 10 patients (56%) had improved Gibbons scores. Average Gibbons type improved from four to 2.8 at 19 month average follow-up. Rod breakage (33%) and infection (17%) were the most common complications. Recovery of bowel and bladder function was more likely in patients with intact lumbosacral roots (86% vs. 36%,p=.066) and incomplete deficits (100% vs. 47%, p=.241) although the small cohort size precluded statistical significance.

Conclusions Lumbo-pelvic fixation safely and effectively provided the stability necessary for mobilization and weight-bearing without loss of reduction in polytraumatized, neurologically impaired patients undergoing extensive sacral decompression. Although neurologic improvement was noted in 83% of patients only 56% of patients had measurable recovery according to objective criteria. However, the functional improvement noted in most patients and complete recovery of bowel and bladder function in all but one patient with intact sacral roots are encouraging.