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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurotrauma
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1542622
This article is part of the Research TopicNeurorehabilitative and regenerative methods involved in treating traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries: Volume IIView all articles
Risk Factors of Neurologic Deficit after Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture
Provisionally accepted- 1Department of Orthopedics, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
- 2The Second Hospital of Santai, Santai, China
- 3Mianyang Third People's Hospital, Mianyang, China
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Introduction: Traumatic fractures of the vertebral bodies in the thoracolumbar region are the most common type of spinal fractures. Some studies suggest that neurological deficits associated with these fractures may be linked to spinal canal compromise, kyphosis angle, and other factors. However, this relationship remains controversial. The present study aimed to identify the risk factors for neurologic deficits following thoracolumbar burst fractures (TBF).Methods: This study included 322 patients with TBF, comprising 115 patients with lamina fractures (LF) and 207 patients without lamina fractures (NLF). Neurological deficits were classified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification, with 75 patients exhibiting neurological deficits and 247 patients without deficits. Clinical data, ASIA classification, and imaging findings were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Risk factors were assessed using logistic regression.Results: Compared with the NLF group, the LF group had higher ASIA classification scores (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression identified laminar fracture (OR: 0.019, 95% CI: 0.005-0.070, P < 0.000), car accident (OR: 6.082, 95% CI: 1.248-29.636, P = 0.025), and falling accident (OR: 8.429, 95% CI: 2.143-33.153, P = 0.002) as independent variables associated with neurologic deficit. Additionally, the ROC curve revealed that laminar fractures and falling accidents had a high risk association value. A risk association equation, Logit (P) = -4.358 + 3.535 × laminar fracture -1.353 × falling accidents, was established based on the high-value indicators.Laminar fractures, car accidents, and falls were identified as independent risk factors for neurological deficits following TBF. Additionally, laminar fractures and falls demonstrated a high risk association value. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing rehabilitation strategies and guiding surgical decision-making.
Keywords: Thoracolumbar, Burst fracture, Neurologic deficit, Spinal Fractures, Risk factors
Received: 10 Dec 2024; Accepted: 17 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Feng, Luo, Zhang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Likun Wang, Mianyang Third People's Hospital, Mianyang, China
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