Thoracolumbar burst fractures are a major cause of disability; however, there are few studies on the functional outcome of patients with this injury. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the functional outcome of patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures using a generic and a condition-specific health status survey. The SF-36 survey (generic) and the Roland scale (condition-specific) were administered to 24 patients who had a minimum of 2 years follow-up after a thoracolumbar burst fracture without neurologic deficit. The average SF-36 score was 65% (compared to 45% for dialysis and 66% for diabetes) and the Roland score was 65% (compared to 58% for low back pain). Of the patients, 33% were able to return to their previous employment, but only 8% were able to return to their pre-injury level of sports. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.71) between the Roland scale and the SF-36 pain scale. There were poor correlations between the Roland scale and residual kyphosis (r = 0.003), and between the SF-36 pain scale and residual kyphosis (r = 0.10). There was no significant difference in the functional outcome of those patients treated operatively versus nonoperatively.

In cataract surgery, the clear corneal incision (CCI) has a small flattening effect on corneal curvature, which can be used to reduce pre-existing astigmatism (PEA). Adding an identical, penetrating CCI opposite the first one can enhance the flattening effect. The paired opposite CCIs (OCCIs) are placed on the steepest meridian axis to flatten it. One CCI is used to perform cataract surgery, and the opposite CCI is made to enhance the flattening effect on the cornea to modulate PEA. During the past 12 months, we have used 2.8 to 3.5 mm OCCIs in 33 eyes with PEA greater than 2.00 diopters (D) having cataract surgery. The mean astigmatism correction achieved with this technique was 2.06 D. This technique is simple and effective and yields stable results that rival those of arcuate keratotomy. The OCCI technique has a potential application for the correction of astigmatism in general refractive surgery. Opposite clear corneal incision nomograms with variables such as width, length, and distance from the limbus will be needed for future applications.

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