Posterior instrumentation for thoracolumbar and lumbar fracture dislocation

Abstract

A 38-year-old, otherwise healthy, male, fell about 30 ft. from a tree. He presented with a GCS of 15, and complete motor/sensory loss below T6 (deemed to be a T6 ASIA A spinal cord injury). His initial CT scan is shown and revealed a T6 fracture dislocation with an apparent flexion distraction mechanism. He also had facet fractures at T8 and T9 and spinous process fractures at T9 and T10 (Fig. 23.1 a-c). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.