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Osteoporotic vertebral collapse with late neurological complications

Spinal Cord volume 33, pages 281–289 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

This paper describes 27 patients who had a spinal fracture and underwent an anterior or a posterior spinal decompression, with or without spinal instrumentation, for late neurological compromise secondary to post-traumatic vertebral collapse associated with osteoporosis. Five males and 22 females were studied, with an average follow-up of 3.7 years. The patients developed delayed neurological compromise due to osteoporotic vertebral collapse 1 month to 1.5 years following insignificant spinal fractures. Abnormal hypermobility at the collapsed spinal level with gradual retropulsion of fracture fragments into the spinal canal appeared to contribute to late paralysis. This pathology is treated surgically either anteriorly or posteriorly, but we recommend transpedicular posterolateral decompression and stabilization with a screw-rod construct because of technical ease and minimum invasion.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukui Medical School, Shimoaizuki 23, Matsuoka, 910-11, Fukui, Japan

    H Baba, Y Maezawa, K Kamitani, N Furusawa & S Imura

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Takaramachi 13-1, Kanazawa , 920, Japan

    K Tomita

Authors
  1. H Baba
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  2. Y Maezawa
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  3. K Kamitani
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  4. N Furusawa
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  5. S Imura
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  6. K Tomita
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Baba, H., Maezawa, Y., Kamitani, K. et al. Osteoporotic vertebral collapse with late neurological complications. Spinal Cord 33, 281–289 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1995.64

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1995.64

Keywords

  • spinal fracture
  • osteoporosis
  • late paraparesis
  • kyphosis
  • spinal instrumentation

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