ABSTRACT
Anterior transthoracic decompression and fusion may be used for the treatment of thoracic and thoracolumbar spine fractures (T2 to L1), either as a single operative procedure or in conjunction with a posterior stabilization procedure. It is often utilized in the acute setting of a two-or three-column thoracic spinal fracture in a patient with an incomplete spinal cord injury and documented canal occlusion on spinal imaging. It is less frequently utilized for the delayed treatment of certain injuries, including late post-traumatic deformities (1-12).
