Posterior pedicle screw fixation with supplemental laminar hook fixation for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures

Surgical treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures with posterior short-segment pedicle fixation usually provides excellent initial correction of kyphotic deformity, but a significant amount of correction can be lost afterwards. This study evaluates the clinical relevance of the short-segment pedicle fixation supplemented by laminar hooks (2HS-1SH) construct in the surgical treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures. Twenty-five patients with a single-level thoracolumbar burst fracture were assessed in this retrospective study. All patients were followed for a minimum of 1 year (mean 2.9 [standard deviation {SD}] 1.5 y). Preoperative vertebral height loss and local kyphosis were 35% (SD 14%) and 19 (SD 9), respectively. Mean corrections of vertebral height and kyphosis were 10% (SD 16%) and 12 (SD 9), respectively. Mean loss of correction at last follow-up was 2% (SD 6%) and 4 (SD 3) for vertebral height and kyphosis, respectively. Loss of correction was significant for local kyphosis (p < 0.001) but not for vertebral height (p = 0.20). Despite the significant loss of correction for local kyphosis, it remained improved at latest follow-up when compared with the preoperative value (p < 0.001). For patients with more than 2 years of follow-up, most of the loss of correction in local kyphosis occurred during the first postoperative year. There was no evidence of instrumentation failure or pseudarthrosis in any patient. The 2HS-1SH construct provides significant correction of vertebral body height and local kyphosis. It also preserves the initial correction and minimizes the risk of instrumentation failure.