Outcomes After Operative Management of Combat-Related XXXX .

@entity1 @entity1643 @entity174 @entity1494 @entity16 @entity71 @entity260 @entity1151 @entity1150 @entity281 @entity158 @entity1118
STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. OBJECTIVE: Report the 2-year operative and clinical outcomes of these service members with @entity174 . SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The majority of @entity174 occur at the thoracolumbar level, with @entity174 caudal to L2 accounting for only 1% of spine @entity174 . A previous report from this institution regarding combat-related spine burst @entity174 documented an increased incidence of @entity174 in injured service members. METHODS: Review of inpatient and outpatient medical records in addition to radiographs for all @entity1 treated at our institution with combat-related burst @entity174 occurring at the L3-L5 levels. RESULTS: Twenty-four @entity1 with a mean age of 28.1   7.2 underwent surgery for low lumbar (L3-L5) burst @entity174 . The mean number of thoracolumbar levels injured was 2.9    1.4. Eleven @entity1 had @entity16 , 4 of which were complete. The mean days to surgery were 16.8    24.5. The mean number of levels fused was 4.3    2.1, with fixation extending to the pelvis in 4 @entity1 (17%). Fourteen (61%) @entity1 had at least 1 postoperative complication, with 7 (30%) requiring reoperation. Five @entity1 had a postoperative wound @entity281 . Five @entity1 had @entity1150 , 3 had @entity1151 . Mean clinical follow-up was 3.3   2.2 years. At latest follow-up, all were separated from military service, 10 experienced persistent bowel/ @entity1494 , 15 had @entity71 , and 10 had documented persistent @entity1643 . Nineteen had @entity1118 with 18 @entity1 still taking @entity158 medications and/or muscle relaxers. CONCLUSION: Low lumbar burst @entity174 are a rare injury with an increased incidence in combat casualties engaged in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We found a high rate of @entity260 (61%), as well as a high reoperation rate (30%). At approximately 3 years of follow-up, most of these @entity1 had persistent @entity16 and @entity1118 . LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.
