In spine fractures, multilevel fractures have been reported rare in incidence. Clinically, it was difficult to determine the extent of fusion level in multilevel spine fracturesas compared to the single level fractures and no investigations of
postoperative results of those that fused surgically in multilevel spine fractures, have been published. We have treated 13 cases of multilevel spine fratures from June, 1989 to October, 1993 at the department of orthopaedic surgery, Kosin
University
Medical Center, Pusan. During the same period total numbers of spine fracture were 172 cases. Among 13 cases of multilevel spinel fracture, 8 cases were treated surgically and 5 cases, nonsurgically. In surgically treated cases, 2 cases of
multiple
contiguous fractures were fused posteriorly involving unaffected upper and lower spines, and among 6 cases of multiple non-contiguous fractures, 3cases were fused only fracture level as thought to be more unstable, the other 3 cases were fused
all
injuried segments. We have evaluated the patients to find out what extent of fusion level was benifit to the patients to improve motion of lumbar spine, to achieve maximam stability at fracture sites. An average follow up period was 35.5months.
@ES And the results were as follows :
@EN 1. The incidence of multilevel spine fracture was 7.5%(13 case) of all spine fractures(172 cases).
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