EP.FRI.36 Clinical outcomes for surgical management of unstable spinal fractures in polytrauma patients: A systematic review

Aims This systematic review seeks to identify and discuss clinical outcomes in polytrauma patients who undergo surgical fixation of unstable spinal fractures. Specifically, this review aims to address the question of whether one surgical treatment modality outperforms other surgical approaches. Methods PubMed and the Cochrane Library database were systematically searched for case reports and clinical studies using key words and MeSH terms. Titles and abstracts were skimmed, and relevant articles were identified for further analysis. A total of 96 results were returned, 16 of which were included for full-text review.  Results Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Four case reports, one case series, and one retrospective study published variable datasets, and each article failed to include highly relevant information. Thus, while conclusive statements about clinical outcomes in this population cannot be made, specific recommendations for future publications can.  Conclusion Limited studies, a small overall cohort, and inconsistent reporting of data preclude a comprehensive systematic review of clinical outcomes. However, this review serves to highlight the need for consistent and standardized reporting guidelines for this cohort. In addition, two cases were successfully treated with minimally invasive techniques, suggesting that viable surgical options exist for patients who cannot undergo open spine surgery. Finally, these data support early surgical intervention when medically possible.