Computed tomography of thoracic and lumbar spine fractures that have been treated with Harrington instrumentation

Conference · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Radiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6601064

Golimbu, C; Firooznia, H; Rafii, M; Engler, G; Delman, A

Twenty patients with fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine underwent computed tomography (CT) following Harrington distraction instrumentation and a spinal fusion. CT was done to search for a cause of persistent cord or nerve root compression in those patients who failed to improve and completely recover their partial neurologic deficit (14 cases). The most common abnormality was the presence of residual bone fragments originating in the burst fracture of a vertebral body displaced posteriorly, into the spinal canal. In patients with complications in the late recovery period, CT found exuberant callus indenting the canal or lack of fusion of the bone grafts placed in the anterolateral aspect of the vertebral bodies. This experience indicates that CT is the modality of choice for spinal canal evaluation in those patients who fail to have an optimal clinical course following fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine treated with Harrington rods.

• Research Organization: New York Univ. Medical Center, New York
• OSTI ID: 6601064
• Report Number(s): CONF-8311191-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Radiology; (United States) Journal Volume: 151:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550602* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BODY
BONE FRACTURES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
INJURIES
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
NERVES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
PATIENTS
SKELETON
SPINAL CORD
TOMOGRAPHY
VERTEBRAE