Frequency and Clinico-Radiological characteristics of Traumatic Thoracolumbar Fractures: An Institute-based Experience

Abstract

Abstract Background Thoracolumbar fractures are the most common type of injuries seen in the emergency department in patients with spinal trauma. The incidence and characteristics of spinal fractures vary among different populations and regions. Objective To determine the frequency, demographics and clinic-radiological characteristics of patients with traumatic thoracolumbar fractures presenting to a level I trauma center in Karachi. Methods A total of 318 patients diagnosed with Thoraco-lumber fracture at Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma, Karachi from 1st January 2022 till 31st December 2022 were included in this study. Their medical records were collected, and epidemiological data including age, sex, injury level, etiology, type of fracture, thoracolumbar AO spine injury score (TLAOSIS), McAfee class, and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS grade), were extracted. Results A total of 318 patients with TLF between January 2022 and December 20222 were included in the study with an incidence of 0.13 per 100,000. Majority of patients were males (66%). Injury mechanism was RTA in most of the cases (60.4%) followed by fall (35.8%), assault (1.9%) and other mechanisms (1.9%). Burst was the most common fracture type (56.6%), followed by compression (18.9%), flexion/distraction (13.2%), chance (9.4%), and burst-felxion/distraction (1.9%). The most common fracture level was L1, diagnosed in 96 patient (30.2) followed by D12 level (20.8) which was diagnosed in 66 patients out of 318. Conclusion There is sparse data available on traumatic thoracolumbar fractures from our population. The results will help in developing a basis for future studies, add to the epidemiological data on the subject, help in developing strategies to minimize the frequency of traumatic thoracolumbar fractures and in the long run, decrease the socioeconomic burden.