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TREATMENT PRINCIPLES İN SPINAL FRACTURES DUE TO GUNSHOT VVOUNDS

  • Ali ŞEHİRÜOĞLU
  • Nevres AYDOĞAN
  • V. KIRDEMİR
  • S ATEŞALP

J Turk Spinal Surg 1994;5(3):115-118

We evaluated retrospectivety the results of 19 patients who had spinal fractures due to gunshot wounds in the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department of Gülhane Military Medicat Academy betvveen January 1988 and May 1994. Average age of the patients was 23 and average follow-up was 2.5 years. The neurologic level in the spinal lesions might mismatch with the injury level in the spinal fractures due to gunshot vvounds, since the ther-mal and blast effect of the missile could cause clinical perpective of approximately 5 centimeters proximal lesion level in these patients. VVhile the early surgical stabilization and decompression have found succesful at the un-stable spinal fractures, there is no indication of removal of foreign body inside the spinal canal in the patients with complete cord lesion. Since this kind of patients show motor, sensorial and autonomic dysfunctions, the treatment must cover ali of these requirements with physical, psychological and relabilitation components.

Keywords: Surgical treatment, spinal fracture, gunshot wound