Abstract

The authors present their experience with 81 cases (66.4%) of acute cervical spine injuries (C.S.I.) and 41 cases (33.6%) of acute thoracolumbar spine injuries (T.L.S.I.) treated by a multidisciplinary approach, at Jeanne Ebori Hospital (Libreville, Gabon) between the years 1981 and 1987. Traffic accidents were the leading cause of injury. The largest group consisted of patients in their third decade. The anatomic localizations were: upper cervical spine: 22 cases (27%); lower cervical spine: 56 (69%); upper thoracic spine: 11 (26.8%); lower thoracic spine or thoracolumbar area: 19 (46.3%); lumbar spine: 7 (17%). There were osteoligamental lesions in 3 cases (3.7%) of C.S.I. and 4 (9.7%) of T.L.S.I. Clinically, 44 patients (54.3%) with C.S.I. and 37 (90.2%) with T.L.S.I. had neurological deficits. Surgical indications depended upon the osseous as well as neurologic lesions. There were five important steps in the treatment of spinal injuries associated with neurological deficit: (1) immobilization, (2) medical stabilization, (3) spinal alignment (skeletal traction), (4) operative decompression if there was proven cord compression, and (5) spinal stabilization. Twenty patients (24.6%) with cervical injuries were treated conservatively (traction, collar, kinesitherapy); 53 (65.4%) underwent a surgical intervention (anterior approach - 21, posterior fusion - 30, combined approach - 2); and in 8 patients (9.8%) refraining from surgery seemed the best alternative. After lengthy multidisciplinary discussion, the authors elected not to operate on tetraplegic patients with respiratory problems that necessitated assisted ventilation, because of its fatal outcome. Of injuries to the thoracolumbar spine, 13 (31.7%) were treated conservatively (bedrest, orthopedic treatment). Twenty-eight patients (68.2%) with unstable thoracic and lumbar fractures associated with neurologic deficit required acute surgical intervention (stabilization with or without decompression of the neural elements). Laminectomy alone was performed in 5 cases, laminectomy with graft in 2, stabilization by Roy-Camille plates in 16 and by Harrington rods in 5. Most upper thoracic spine fractures were treated conservatively. Surgical intervention was increasingly possible with the availability of more material and qualified staff. There were 17 patients (21%) who died from C.S.I. (15 were tetraplegic), and 6 (14.6%) from T.L.S.I. In general, osteoligamental consolidation was satisfactory. Neurological recovery was observed only in patients with partial deficits. Most cases posed socioeconomic problems.