The Importance of Alignment in the Management of Thoracolumbar Trauma

Spinal injuries occur in 3% of all patients with trauma, most commonly in males, and often as a result of high-velocity impact followed by abrupt deceleration. The most affected region after spinal trauma is the thoracolumbar junction because of the anterior center of gravity at the T12-L1 vertebral level and the relatively stiff thoracic spine uniting with the mobile lumbar spine. Many classifications exist to guide the choice of operative versus nonoperative management of traumatic injuries at this site. However, the classifications do not consider the segmental alignment of the spine, an aspect that has been shown to improve quality of life in nontraumatic postoperative spinal patients. Ignoring this aspect of thoracolumbar management often contributes to the development of posttraumatic malalignment and other complications. This review recommends that a new or modified classification system accounts for sagittal segmental alignment factors, including the level of the injured vertebra, the number of affected adjacent levels, imaging techniques with better specificity and sensitivity, and assessment for osteoporosis. Case studies are included to show the importance of segmental sagittal alignment and the vertebral level on patient outcomes.