Özet:

Objective: There is almost no controversy about the conservative treatment of patients with fractures with a Thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS) of 1-3. External thoracolumbosacral orthosis is the recommended method. However, it is still controversial to support the TLICS with radiological parameters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between TLICS scores of 1-3 and clinical and radiological results of patients with stable thoracolumbar and lumbar vertebrae fractures, who were followed up conservatively. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed as having TLICS 1 to 3 thoracolumbar or lumbar vertebrae fractures who were followed up conservatively. Data were gained from the patient files. Outcome measures and classification parameters used were; visual analogue scale (VAS) and Turkish version of Oswestry disability index (ODI). The radiological parameters were measured. The recovery rates of all patients were evaluated, and correlation between clinical and radiological outcomes of the patients and TLICS scores was analyzed. Results: The mean duration of hospitalization and time to return to work were 1.61 and 126 days, respectively. Both VAS and ODI values steadily decreased over time. However, local kyphotic angle (LKA) and vertebra height loss (VHL) percentage values increased over time. TLICS did not correlate with the time to return to work. However, LKA at admission and VHL percentage at admission correlated significantly with the time to return to work. Conclusion: The TLICS classification seems to be effective in decision making in the conservative treatment of thoracolumbar and lumbar vertebral fractures, but it would be noteworthy to take into account the clinical and radiological parameters in this classification to predict the treatment period and time to return to work.

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