The choice of operation time after injury in thoracolumbar blowout fracture

Objective To discuss the choice of operation time after injury in thoracolumbar blowout fracture. Method The patients with thoracolumbar blowout fracture were all treated with operation and according to the operation time after injury, they were divided into three groups, group A (within 3 days), group B (4～7 days) and group C (more than 7 days). We compared the spinal nerve function recovery degree of the three groups and the degree of nervous function was pressed by the standard of AISA 2000. Results 35 cases were all followed up during the time of 13 to 20 months (the average time of 11 months). The relationship between the surgical operation time after injury and the degree of spinal nerve function recovery was as follows: the spinal nerve function was significantly recovered after treatment in group A and group B (P0.05), while that in group C was not significant (P0.05). Compared group A with group C, group B with group C and group A with group B, the degrees of spinal nerve function recovery were all statistically significant (P0.05). Conclusion The surgical operation has obvious effect and the earlier the operation after injury is conducted, the better nervous function recovery is got. The recovery effect is poor when operation is done more than 7 days after injury, so the operation should be carried on within 7 days. If the condition allows, the operation should be done as early as possible, but emergency operation exists some problems, we think that surgical operation should be carried on 4～7 days after injury.