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Introduction and Objective: The incidence of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF) is increasing. The importance of their diagnosis and treatment lies in their frequency and the morbidity they cause in patients. The classification proposed for OVFs by the German Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (DGOU) recommends surgical treatment for vertebral fractures classified as OF4. Most of these fractures will require anterior bracing as an adjunct to posterior fixation because of the significant loss of vertebral body structure. In elderly patients, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) allows their treatment given the lesser tissue aggression and systemic repercussions. We present the results of the treatment of OF4 vertebral fractures using minimally invasive techniques in the Spine Unit of our hospital., Material and Methods: Retrospective study of 21 patients with OF4 osteoporotic fractures in the thoracolumbar transition treated in our centre. Six patients who underwent open posterolateral fusion or isolated vertebroplasty were excluded. The series consists of 15 cases (13 females and 2 males), with a mean age of 72.2, studied by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical and analytical data were collected to decide the most appropriate surgical technique. In six cases a retropleural/retroperitoneal MIS approach was performed for partial corpectomy with expandable vertebral substitute plus long posterior percutaneous fixation (technique 1). In the remaining nine cases long posterior percutaneous fixation + vertebroplasty of the fractured vertebra (technique 2). Radiological measurements were taken pre-surgically, post-surgically, at 6 weeks and 3 months, determining the fracture angle, kyphotic deformity, compression and wedging percentage and deformation angle. To assess functional outcome, patients completed the Oswentry Disability Index before surgery and at 3 months., Results: There were no intraoperative complications of note. In the corpectomy group the mean hospital stay was 9.4 days, with a mean operative time of 250 min, a postoperative haemoglobin loss of 3.3 g/dL and two patients were transfused. In the percutaneous fixation and vertebroplasty group the mean was 5.55 days, surgery time 71 min and loss of 1.6 g/dL haemoglobin. There was one post-surgical haematoma requiring transfusion. None of the patients had to be reoperated during follow-up. Radiological measurements showed adequate correction with both techniques which was maintained over time with minimal loss. In functional outcomes assessed with the Oswentry, patients following technique 1 suffered greater worsening (15%) than those treated with technique 2 (10%)., Conclusions: In OWF classified as OF4, percutaneous fixation associated with vertebroplasty could be an alternative to corpectomy in older patients with comorbidities, in whom functional recovery is more important than radiological correction. The use of MIS surgery together with improvements in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis may improve clinical outcomes in the treatment of this type of fracture., (Copyright © 2021 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To review the complications associated with the minimally invasive retropleural approach used in the anterior approach to the thoraco-lumbar spine., Material and Method: We present the MIS surgical technique and the evaluation of data collected prospectively from the initial series of 31 patients undergoing surgery. Pleural opening during the approach, lung complications derived, other surgical complications, time of intervention, intraoperative bleeding, need for transfusion and hospital stay are evaluated., Discussion: The mean age of the patients was 58years, the surgical time 225min, and the bleeding 274ml, with a 13% postoperative transfusion. Intraoperatively, pleural opening was detected in 8 cases, of which none had major pulmonary complications during the postoperative period. There were 3 cases of mild pleural effusion, all patients without pleural opening, and one case of haemopneumothorax due to intercostal vessel bleeding that required reoperation. The percentage of intercostal neuralgia was 3%. The mean hospital stay was 6.7days, and 24 of 31 patients were able to initiate early mobilization on the first postoperative day., Conclusions: The retropleural approach allows the surgical treatment of pathologies requiring anterior access to the thoraco-lumbar spine, with a low profile of pulmonary complications, and with the advantages of minimally invasive techniques in terms of less bleeding, early recovery and shorter hospital stay. Nevertheless the learning curve is long., (Copyright © 2018 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)