La corpectomía transpedicular en fracturas de columna toracolumbar

introduction: the aim of present study was to analyze the clinical course of a group of patients presenting with post-traumatic vertebral fractures and added neurologic disorders operated on by transpedicular vertebrectomy and to relate this course to intervening preoperative time. methods: an interventional and descriptive study was conducted in 18 patients presenting with post-traumatic paraplegia underwent medullar decompression by transpedicular vertebrectomy and instrumentation using luque’s technique. patients were seen in “hermanos ameijeiras” clinical surgical hospital from 1987 to 1989. results: from 15 non-ambulatory patients 9 recovered that function (60%). there was not relation between the lesion time and neurologic recovery. the more frequent complication was the infection with deceased patient. mean time of lesion duration was of 11,7 months, and the mean time of postoperative course was of 10,7months. conclusions: we conclude that canal decompression and vertebral instrumentation in patients presenting with post-traumatic lesions, can to improve the neurologic status independently of preoperative lesion time.