L2 Burst fracture - Transpedicular screw and rod stabilisation

20 year old man had sustained injury to the back when he fell from a height of 20 feet from a coconut tree. MRC grade 2/5 paraparesis L1 downwards. The severely compressed neural elements were decompressed by a laminectomy and then stabilised with transpedicular screw [D12 to L3 since L1 body was also fractured] and rod [titanium, GESCO [Tm]] and fused with bone grafts.

intraop problems: getting the c-arm to behave!

improved significantly and quite swiftly to 4+/5 just by relief of compression. Able to walk with a walker.