Twelwe patients who had burst fractures in thoracolumbar junction and lumbar region, had been managed with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation between Augusi 92-December 93, at the department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, in Haydarpaşa State Hospital, İstanbul.
Six of ourpatients were female and the average age was 29.2. According to the ievel of the lesion, one of the patients had burst fracture at T 12, eight of the patients at L1, one of the patients at L2, one of the patients at L3, and one of the patients both at L3 and L4.
Our average follow up time was 10.5 months. Though, preoperative average locai fracture angie was 20°, it became 8.7° postoperatively. Average locai kyphosis angie vvas 15.6° preoperativetiveiy and 4° postoperativeiy. Average preoperative compression of anterior vertebral body percentage was 41.6% and in the last follow up it was 16.9%. On CAT scan, preoperative average vertebral canal obstruction was 51.9% and postoperatively it was 31.3%.
Four patients who had incompiete neurologic deficits had improvement, and fell in to one grade higher catego-ry according to Frankei and et al. 's classification system.
As complication, one patient had peroperative laminar fracture and the other one whom short segment was performed had upperpedicular screews broken postoperatively 8 and 12th months.
Keywords: Cotrel-Dubousset İnstrumentation, Surgical Management, Thoracolumbar and Lumbar Burst Fractures.