Purpose: Many minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques have been developed for instrumentation of spine. These MIS techniques restore stability, alignment while achieving return to function quite early as compared to open spine surgeries. The main aim of this review was to evaluate role, indications and complications of these MIS techniques in Thoracolumbar and Lumbar fractures. Methods: Pubmed search using key words such as"Percutaneous pedicle screw for Thoracolumbar fractures" and "Video Assisted Thoracoscopy, Thoracoscopic, VATS for thoracolumbar, Lumbar and Spine fractures" were used till July 2016 while doing literature search. Authors analyzed all the articles, which came after search; the articles relevant to the topic were selected and used for the study. Both prospective and retrospective case control studies and randomized control trials (RCT's) were included in this review. Case reports and reviews were excluded. Studies demonstrating use of MIS in cases other than spine trauma and studies with lack of clinical follow up were excluded from this review. Variables such as number of patients, operative time and complications were evaluated in each study. Results: After pubmed search, we found total 68 studies till July 2016 out of which eight studies were relevant for analysis of Video Assisted Thoracoscopy for thoracolumbar and lumbar fractures. Total 72 articles for Percutaneous pedicle screws in thoracolumbar and lumbar fractures were retrieved out of which percutaneous pedicle screws were analyzed in eleven studies and twelve studies involved comparison of percutaneous pedicle screws and conventional open techniques. Conclusion: Role and Indications of the MIS techniques in spinal trauma are expanding quite rapidly. MIS techniques restore stability, alignment while achieving early return to function and lower infection rates as compared to open spine surgeries. In long term, they provide good kyphosis correction and stable fixation and fusion of spine. They are associated with long learning curve and technical challenges but with careful patient selection and in expert hands, MIS techniques may produce better results than open trauma spine surgeries.

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Background: The role of bisphosphonates is well established in giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) of extremities, but its role in spine GCTB is still not established. Our main purpose was to evaluate the role of bisphosphonates in spinal GCTB with the help of radiologic assessment.Methods: A retrospective analysis of all spine GCTB patients who underwent an operation from July 2005 to January 2014 was done. Patients of spine GCTB in whom bisphosphonates were given constituted the study group. This group was compared to patients in whom bisphosphonates were not given. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs and CT scans were studied. A thorough evaluation of the presence of sclerosis was done on them. Bisphosphonates were considered to be effective if either sclerosis or new bone formation was present.Results: A total of 13 cases of spine GCT underwent operation from July 2005 to January 2014. All patients of GCTB spine who underwent an operation after 2008 at our institute were given bisphosphonates postoperatively. Of 13 cases, bisphosphonates were given postoperatively in 6 patients: 5 patients were female and 1 patient was male. Of these 6 patients, 3 patients had sacrum GCTB and 1 patient each had T9, T11, and L5 vertebrae GCTB. Average follow-up period was 39.33 months (minimum follow-up was 18 months and maximum follow-up was 72 months). Postoperative sclerosis was present in all 6 patients. No recurrence of the tumor was present in the bisphosphonate group, but 2 patients had a recurrence in the group that did not receive bisphosphonates.Conclusions: Bisphosphonates are effective and safe adjuvant therapy along with appropriate surgical intervention in spinal GCTBs and may have a role in decreasing the recurrence of this tumor.

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Isolated spontaneous primary tubercular erector spinae abscess in an immunocompetent patient is very rare. Here, we report such a case of 21-year-old female, which was successfully managed with timely diagnosis and intervention. Isolated primary tubercular abscess of erector spinae is a rare differential diagnosis of low back pain; however, it must be suspected in an endemic region for tuberculosis, especially when raised erythrocytic sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein are present. Excision along with anti tubercular therapy proved to be a successful strategy in our patient.