TRAUMATIC THORACOLUMBAR SPINE FRACTURES

1Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics, Denizli, Türkiye 2Denizli Private Odak Hospital, Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Denizli, Türkiye 3Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, İzmir, Türkiye Esat Kıter1, Adem Çatak2, Emin Alıcı3 TRAUMATIC THORACOLUMBAR SPINE FRACTURES DOI: 10.4274/jtss.galenos.2026.50299 7 Kıter et al. Spinal Fractures J Turk Spinal Surg 2026;37(Suppl 1):6-11 classification, and treatment have reached a consensus. The aim of this review is to summarize the new developments in traumatic TL vertebral fractures, which are an important health problem, and to update the index review published in 2006(5). Classification History The classification of TL spine fractures is an important issue in terms of organizing treatment, but it has been debated for many years. Many fracture classifications have been defined, but most now have only historical value. However, we observed significant progress in TL fracture classification over the last two decades. AOSpine has proposed a classification that actually encompasses previous classifications and can be more easily adapted for clinical use, and this has generally become established practice. We will discuss the details of this classification after a brief historical overview. The fundamental question that classification of spinal fractures must answer is whether the fracture requires surgical treatment. Therefore, all classifications primarily question the concept of instability. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons definition, instability is the abnormal response of a spinal motion segment to load (a motion segment is a unit consisting of two vertebrae and an intervertebral disc). The main problem is that in a patient with a spinal injury, the concept of instability in the erect posture of the spine is usually evaluated using examinations performed in the supine position (10). As a result, the evaluation of a spinal fracture in terms of instability cannot go beyond an estimation based on the data. The history of classification in spinal fractures dates back to the 1930s. During these years, due to the limitations of radiological