The female student with spinal scoliosis was wheeled out of the operating room, followed by a patient with a lumbar 3 vertebral burst fracture.
This patient had a lumbar 3 vertebral burst fracture, but his posterior longitudinal ligament was intact. Imaging also showed no signs of cortical flipping of the fracture fragments, making him a good candidate for posterior spine surgery.
Posterior spine surgery is relatively simpler, less bloody, and lower risk than anterior spine surgery. If the issue can be resolved from the posterior, the anterior approach is generally avoided.
Anterior spine surgery, which involves accessing the area through the chest or abdomen, entails greater difficulty due to the involvement of thoracoabdominal organs, large blood vessels, etc.
However, if satisfactory results can't be achieved with posterior surgery, the anterior approach would be preferred despite its greater complexity.
