The management of burst fractures of the fifth lumbar vertebra. x

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Court-Brown CM. Gertzbein SD. x Spine. [JC:uxk] 12(3):308-12, 1987 Apr. x Burst fractures of the fifth lumbar vertebra are extremely rare. Three x cases of this fracture are reported and the treatment discussed. Two x patients were treated conservatively with bed rest and lumbar bracing; the x third underwent posterior decompression and instrumentation. All patients x showed a loss of lordosis between L4 and the sacrum, this being greatest x in the surgically treated patient. It is suggested that current x instrumentation cannot adequately maintain this unusual fracture in good x alignment and a conservative approach is advocated. x