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Review
. 2024 Oct;50(5):1943-1949.
doi: 10.1007/s00068-024-02658-w. Epub 2024 Sep 27.

Thoracolumbar injuries: prehospital and emergency management, imaging, classifications and clinical implications

Guido A Wanner  1 , Frank Bloemers  2 , Christoph Nau  3 , Klaus Wendt  4 , Marko Jug  5 , Radko Komadina  5 , Hans Christoph Pape  6
Affiliations
Review

Thoracolumbar injuries: prehospital and emergency management, imaging, classifications and clinical implications

Guido A Wanner et al. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

Thoracolumbar fractures are common injuries that usually result from high energy trauma. They can lead to significant morbidity due to neurologic impair - or mortality - if not managed according to strict and rapid intervention rules in terms of decompression of the spinal cord, and rigid fixation of the fracture. This manuscript reviews emergency treatment protocols, imaging modalities, and classification systems used for thoracolumbar fractures. The emergency treatment is discussed, specific classifications are compared and indications for surgeries are compared.

Keywords: ESTES recommendations; Principles of management; Spinal injury; Thoracolumbar fractures.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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