To compare the safety and efficacy of two different minimally invasive approaches to implant pedicle screw for the treatment of single-segment thoracolumbar spine fractures without nerve injury.

This was a retrospective study. Eighty patients with mono-segmental thoracolumbar fractures treated with minimally invasive pedicle screw fixation at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to June 2022 were included. There were 46 males and 36 females, the age was (45.93±7.91) years old, and ranged from 27 to 60 years old. They were divided into two groups according to different surgical techniques: percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group (n=44) and Wiltse approach group (n=36). The operative time, operative visible blood loss, hidden blood loss, total blood loss, fluoroscopy times, incision length, hospital time after surgery and ambulation time were compared. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), ratio of the vertebral anterior height, angle of injured vertebral endplate were recorded and compared between two groups before surgery and at 3 days, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. The accuracy of pedicle screw position and the facet joint violation rate were evaluated by using the postoperative CT scan. Perioperative related complications were investigated. Normally distributed numerical data were presented as mean ± standard deviation, and differences between the groups were compared using t-test. The counting data were expressed as percentages or rates and compared using χ² test.

All patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months. There is no significant difference between the two groups in intraoperative visible blood loss, hospital time after surgery, ambulation time, postoperative VAS and ODI, ratio of vertebral anterior height and angle of injured vertebral endplate at 3 days after surgery, pedicle screw position accuracy and perioperative complications (P>0.05). The operative time, hidden blood loss, total blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, facet joint violation rate in the percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group were remarkably higher than in the Wiltse approach group (P<0.05). The ratio of vertebral anterior height in the percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group was dramatically lower than in the Wiltse approach group at 6 months and 1 year after surgery (P<0.05). The postoperative injured vertebral endplate angle was higher in the percutaneous pedicle screw fixation group than that in the Wiltse approach group at 6 months and 1 year (P<0.05).

Both percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and Wiltse approach were safe and effective minimally invasive surgical procedures for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures without neurological injury. The Wiltse approach can reduce fluoroscopy times and perioperative hidden blood loss, reduce the risk of facet joint violation, and maintain a better reduction than percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.

Spinal fractures; Surgical procedures, operative; Minimally invasive; Fracture fixation surgery