Post-traumatic Spinal Deformities

Post-traumatic spinal deformity is a common complication of spinal trauma. Usually, kyphosis in the thoracolumbar spine is the most frequent post-traumatic spinal deformity (PTSD). The diagnosis can be either in the acute trauma or as a chronic entity. Acute deformities are more commonly observed in younger patients with high-energy trauma while chronic patterns are more frequent in adults. The combination of higher life expectancy, along with an often misdiagnosis of spinal thoracolumbar fractures, results in a greater number of patients facing the long-term sequelae of PTSD. Radiologic examination is essential and must include local and global measurements. A global spinal malalignment leads to several clinical changes and evolves to main symptoms like pain and neuropathy. Surgical correction of post-traumatic deformity should be considered in patients with an intolerably low quality of life due to this condition, excessive pain, and one or more of the following: progressive local deformity with/without global malalignment, presence of neurological deficit, persistent instability, and pseudarthrosis or malunion. Moreover, there are several options to correct deformities, even though less invasive techniques have gained popularity in every surgical procedure. The usefulness of this technique will depend on the severity of deformity involved and the need corrective osteotomy surgery.