[Current status of thoracoscopic surgery for thoracic and lumbar spine. Part 1: general aspects and treatment of fractures]

Beneficial effects of percutaneous minimally invasive surgery for patients with fractures in the thoracic spine

Percutaneous minimally invasive surgery (PMIS) is the most common surgical procedure used in patients with fractures in the thoracic spine. In the present study, the benefits of PMIS compared with the conventional open surgery (COS) were investigated in patients with thoracic spine fractures. A total of 84 patients were recruited in the current analysis. Inflammatory responses were measured in all patients subsequent to PMIS and COS. It was demonstrated that PMIS produced reduced inflammatory responses as compared with COS in clinical patients. In addition, the results revealed that kyphosis, anterolisthesis and the neurological state were significantly improved in patients subjected to PMIS compared with those receiving COS (P<0.01). The mean values of bone reduction and fracture correction loss were similar in the PMIS and COS groups (4.5 degrees). Furthermore, the outcomes indicated that the sensitivity for fracture localization to the correct vertebra was 0.90 in PMIS and 0.92 in COS (P>0.05). It was observed that patients who had undergone PMIS required reduced hospitalization time compared with the COS-treated patients (P=0.026). Additionally, the mean bleeding volume during surgery was 538 ml in the PMIS patients and 845 ml in the COS patients. Regarding physical activity, patients who underwent PMIS were relative more active compared with the COS patients (P=0.038) in a 14-day observation. In conclusion, the current clinical analysis indicated that PMIS was more beneficial for the treatment of patients with fractures in the thoracic spine, and the study provided further evidence for the management thoracic spine injuries.