Epidemiology of Thoracolumbar Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the epidemiological profile of operated patients victims of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample was composed of a total of 223 cases of thoracolumbar fractures between 2015 and 2019. Data (sex, age, site of origin, etiology of injury, Frankel scale of neurological deficit, and affected vertebral segment) were extracted from records of patients who were victims of trauma to the thoracic and lumbar spine and surgically treated in the institution. Results: 223 patients were analyzed, of which 164 (73.5%) were male. The mean age was 35.9 ± 14.3 years. Most traumas were caused by motorcycle accidents (36.7%), followed by falls from heights (31.8%) and car accidents (17.0%). The main cause of trauma in men was motorcycle accidents (39.0%), while in women it fell from height (35.5%). The segment most affected was the thoracolumbar spine in 118 (52.9%) of the cases, followed by the thoracic segment in 78 (34.9%). 46.1% of patients admitted with Frankel E. Traffic accidents were the main causes of complete motor deficit at hospital admission (FRANKEL A). Conclusions: Among surgically treated patients with trauma to the thoracic and/or lumbar spine, there was a predominance of motorcycle accidents followed by car accidents and men who were significantly prone to fractures. Furthermore, the thoracolumbar transition was the region most affected region; however, the injuries in the thoracic region were the ones that most exhibited the worst Frankel status.