Turk Neurosurg 26(3):411-415, 2016 | 411 Corresponding author: Haydar CELIK E-mail: dr_haydarcelik@hotmail.com Original Investigation DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.13192-14.0 Received: 19.10.2014 / Accepted: 24.10.2014 Published Online: 16.02.2016 ısmet KoKSaL 1 , Fatih aLagoZ 2 , Haydar CELıK 3 , ali Erdem YıLDıRıM 2 , Tezcan aKın 4 , Yahya guVEnC 5 , Mete KaRaTaY 3 , Yavuz ERDEM 3 1 Yenimahalle State Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Ankara, Turkey 2 Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey 3 Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey 4 Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of General Surgery, Ankara, Turkey 5 Sincan State Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey Timing of Surgery for Spinal Fractures Associated with Systemic Trauma: A Need for a Strategic and Systemic Approach ABSTRACT energy trauma (7) and an increased incidence in systemic and spinal trauma is not striking. Dislocations and burst fractures of the thoracolumbar region are associated with high energy trauma and osteoporotic fractures of the regarding region might develop even after a low energy trauma (22, 25). █ INTRODUCTION Improved use of technology has resulted in an increased number of motor vehicles and higher skyscrapers which probably have a role in increased severity of trauma (26). It is well known that the spinal fractures are associated with high- AIM: An underestimated evaluation of systemic organs in cases with spinal fractures might jeopardize the intervention for treatment and future complications with an increased morbidity and mortality are almost warranted. In the present study, a retrospective analysis of spinal fracture cases associated with systemic trauma was performed to assess surgical success. MATERIAL and METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with thoracolumbar fractures who were admitted to the emergency unit between September 2012 and September 2014 was used for the study. The cases were categorized according to age, sex, reason of trauma, associated trauma, neurological condition and treatment details and results were analysed using SPSS 14.0 for Windows. RESULTS: The most common reason of trauma is detected as falls in 101 cases (64.3%). Radiological evaluation of spinal fractures revealed a compression fracture in 106 cases (67.5%) and other fractures in 51 cases (32.5%). Surgical treatment for spinal fracture was performed in 60.5% of the cases and conservative approach was preferred in 39.5% cases. In non-compressive spinal fractures, an associated pathology like head trauma, lower extremity fracture or neurological defcit was found to be higher in incidence (p<0.05). Necessity for surgical intervention was found to be more prominent in this group (p<0.05). However, the fracture type was not found to be associated with morbidity and mortality (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A surgical intervention for a spinal fracture necessitating surgery should rather be performed right after stabilization of the systemic condition which might be associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. KEywORDS: Systemic trauma, Spinal fracture, Timing of surgery