OBJECTIVE: to carry out a prospective analysis of 100 patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures who underwent surgery at a tertiary hospital in the east side of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: a prospective study from January 2006 until July 2009, including an overall of 100 patients with fractures of the thoracolumbar spine who underwent surgery. Data such as gender, age, mechanism of injury, neurologic deficit and type of fracture were assessed. RESULTS: it was observed that the fall of slab was the main cause of fracture, followed by car accidents, and males accounted for 66% of the cases; however, no difference was observed between the mechanism of trauma and the gender. We also observed that neurological damage is directly related to severity of fracture and that the thoracolumbar junction is the most affected region. CONCLUSION: we conclude that the incidence of fractures in the east side of São Paulo and it is highly associated with accidental falls. These data are important so that preventive measures can be undertaken to reduce the morbidity of this type of severe trauma.
Spinal injuries; Spinal injuries
