Objective: Analyse the complications of the thoracolumbar
fractures treated with anterior approach, due to
the approach, decompression technique, or the stabilisation
by itself.
Patients: Between 1983 -1993, we review 39 anterior approaches
for treatment of the thoraco-lumbar fractures. Patients
had incomplete neurological clinic. All of them were followed
for a minim of 5 years.
Results: Seven of the 39 patients had any kind of complication.
There were 9 complications in overall (23%). In a short time
there were 3 complications due to the approach and 1 deep
infection. In a long period we found 1 deep infection, 2 failures
of material and 2 pseudarthrosis. Complications of the
approach were resolved without surgery, but patients with
deep infection had a new surgery for treatment. The pseudarthrosis
were treated by posterior approach, and failures of
material did not need another surgery.
Conclusions: We have a percentage of complications similar
to other authors. The anterior instrumentation and fusion with
use of structural graft allows to reconstruct the lost height,
using the posterior artrodesis only in cases with severe osteoporosis
or defect technical observed during the surgery.

Objective: Analyse the complications of the thoracolumbar
fractures treated with anterior approach, due to
the approach, decompression technique, or the stabilisation
by itself.
Patients: Between 1983 -1993, we review 39 anterior approaches
for treatment of the thoraco-lumbar fractures. Patients
had incomplete neurological clinic. All of them were followed
for a minim of 5 years.
Results: Seven of the 39 patients had any kind of complication.
There were 9 complications in overall (23%). In a short time
there were 3 complications due to the approach and 1 deep
infection. In a long period we found 1 deep infection, 2 failures
of material and 2 pseudarthrosis. Complications of the
approach were resolved without surgery, but patients with
deep infection had a new surgery for treatment. The pseudarthrosis
were treated by posterior approach, and failures of
material did not need another surgery.
Conclusions: We have a percentage of complications similar
to other authors. The anterior instrumentation and fusion with
use of structural graft allows to reconstruct the lost height,
using the posterior artrodesis only in cases with severe osteoporosis
or defect technical observed during the surgery.