Publication:

A retrospective study of neurological recovery following posterior stabilization for spine instability in tertiary care hospital, Chengalpattu district

Background Spinal instability is defined as the loss of the ability of the spine under physiological loads to maintain relationships between vertebrae in such a way that the spinal cord or nerve roots are not damaged or irritated, and deformity or pain does not develop. The objective was to study the neurological recovery following posterior stabilization for lumbar spine instability.

Methods This retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Orthopaedics, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, India. (KIMS & RC). Study duration was from January 2020 to February 2020 (2 months). Patients admitted with spinal instability with neurological deficit, treated with instrumentation and fusion will be study participants were 30 patients.

Results In our study, Denis pain scale showed that 40% of patients had minimal pain, 40% of patient had moderate pain and 20% had moderate to severe pain with significant changes in daily activities, the Denis work assessment scale showed that 33.33% of patients had unable to return to the previous job but can able to work full time with job modification.

Conclusions The most important factor responsible for prognosis and neurological recovery is the neurological status at the time of injury. Surgical decompression and stabilization with fusion improves the neurological recovery especially in incomplete cord lesions.