Objective: To assess the correlation between post-traumatic kyphosis in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures undergoing surgical treatment and the functional result from treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 27 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures according to Denis and A3 to Margerl's classification who met the inclusion criteria for this sample and underwent surgical treatment with a minimum follow-up of six months. The patients’ mean age was 46.96, with a range from 16 to 73 years. The treatment outcome was evaluated based on applying the short-form 36 (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire, Denis pain and work scale and visual pain scale. The kyphosis was measured according to the Cobb method at the end of the follow-up. Results: The residual kyphosis was found not to correlate with the SF-36, Denis pain and work scale or visual pain score (p > 0.05). Conclusion: There is no correlation between the final clinical result and residual kyphosis in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures who undergo surgical treatment.

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OBJETIVO: comparar as imagens radiológicas da espondilodiscite tuberculosa e a inespecífica. MÉTODOS: estudo retrospectivo mediante revisão de prontuários e exames de imagem dos pacientes portadores de discite inespecífica e específica pelo Micobacterium tuberculosis, que realizaram tratamento, pelo Grupo de Coluna do Departamento de Ortopedia e Traumatologia no período de 1989 a Agosto de 2009. RESULTADOS: foram analisados 48 prontuários e arquivos de imagens de pacientes portadores de discite tuberculosa (Tbc) e 31 de pacientes portadores de discite inespecífica. Dos portadores de espondilite tuberculosa, também denominada mal de Pott, 54% eram do sexo masculino. A idade variou de 3 a 87 anos com média de 44,1 anos. Nos pacientes portadores de discite inespecífica, 68% eram do sexo masculino, e a idade variou de 2 meses a 76 anos. O padrão radiográfico predominante na discite por Tbc foi o acunhamento da região anterior do corpo vertebral em 88,2% dos casos. Nos pacientes com discite inespecífica, a diminuição do espaço discal foi o achado mais prevalente, encontrado em 87% dos casos. CONCLUSÃO: A discite por Tbc apresentou nesta série uma maior prevalência de alterações estruturais importantes na coluna vertebral, como a cifose, e reação paravertebral em relação à discite inespecífica. Enquanto a prevalência de infecção inespecífica foi maior em pacientes pediátricos, a discite por Tbc teve prevalência progressivamente maior com o aumento da idade dos pacientes.

Objective: This study evaluates the manual and digital reliability and reproducibility of five methods of measuring deformity (kyphosis) in thoracolumbar burst fractures. Method: Ninety (90) tomographic images were evaluated and, in each case, kyphotic deformity was measured, both manually and digitally, through the five most relevant methods described in the literature. For the assessment of intraobserver error, 20 cases were measured again. Results: The results show that all five methods are highly reliable and digitally reproducible, with estimated error near or lower than that indicated in the intraobserver error analysis. Cobb's method had the highest concordance (96%) while the sagittal index had the lowest concordance (75%). It is also suggested that digital assessment is more reliable then the manual method. Conclusion: All tested methods are highly reliable and digitally reproducible.

Objective: To assess the correlation between post-traumatic kyphosis in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures undergoing surgical treatment and the functional result from treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 27 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures according to Denis and A3 to Margerl's classification who met the inclusion criteria for this sample and underwent surgical treatment with a minimum follow-up of six months. The patients' mean age was 46.96, with a range from 16 to 73 years. The treatment outcome was evaluated based on applying the