Differentiation of spinal damage through compression mechanism

Abstract

In the years 1965 to 1986, 986 patients with spine fractures caused by compression were treated at the Rehabilitation Clinic. This communication presents an analysis of those patients, taking into account the significant differences between typical compression fractures and explosion fractures, the latter are, as a rule, complicated by considerable or complete spinal cord damage. The author has pointed to the differences in the indication for surgery, different prognosis and significantly different results of treatment. The author is of the opinion that, due to those differences, the two kinds of spinal fractures should be considered separately with regard to the analysis of the mechanism of injury, the prognosis and the assessment of the results of treatment.