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Fractures, Dislocations, and Fracture-Dislocations of the Spine.

Holdsworth·J Bone Joint Surg Am·1970·915 citations·Spine
DOI
SummaryAbstract on publisher site →

Holdsworth's landmark review classifies spinal injuries into five mechanistic types based on the force applied. It asks which injuries are stable, which are unstable, and what neurologic prognosis can be given at 24 hours. Based on over 1000 patients with traumatic paraplegia or tetraplegia at the Sheffield Spinal Injuries Centre.

Study Snapshot

Design
Retrospective cohort
Setting: Single center, Sheffield Spinal Injuries Centre
Objective
Whether spinal fractures can be classified by mechanism to guide treatment
Subjects
1000+ patients with traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia
Follow-up
Several years (prolonged)

Key Findings

  • Spinal stability depends on the posterior ligament complex (interspinous and supraspinous ligaments, facet capsules, ligamenta flava).
  • A palpable gap between spinous processes almost always means an unstable spine, even with equivocal X-rays.
  • Five injury mechanisms produce five distinct patterns:
    –Pure flexion: stable wedge fracture (posterior complex intact)
    –Flexion-rotation: unstable rotational fracture-dislocation (posterior complex ruptured)
    –Extension: spontaneously reducing cervical dislocation, stable in flexion
    –Vertical compression: stable burst fracture (all ligaments intact)
    –Shearing: complete ligament rupture, always complete paraplegia
  • Rotational fracture-dislocations are the most unstable of all spinal injuries and are almost invariably associated with tetraplegia or paraplegia.
  • Minimal displacement on imaging may give a false sense of stability — the patient was positioned supine before films were taken.
  • Complete paraplegia persisting beyond 24 hours without any return of motor power or sensation equals irreparable cord damage.
  • Holdsworth reports zero exceptions in over 1000 patients. Spinal shock does not persist in complete form beyond 24 hours.
  • Return of reflexes below the lesion without any motor or sensory return is a bad prognostic sign.
  • It means cord transection with distal segment isolation, not recoverable spinal shock. The opposite of what trainees often assume.
Board PearlComplete paraplegia beyond 24 hours without any motor or sensory return means irreparable cord damage — Holdsworth saw zero exceptions in over 1000 patients.

Clinical Relevance

The 24-hour rule from this paper is still how you prognosticate cord injury at the bedside: any patient with complete motor and sensory loss below the lesion at 24 hours has irreparable cord damage.

When you examine a paraplegic patient and find brisk reflexes below the lesion but no motor or sensory return, do not reassure the family that reflexes are a good sign. Holdsworth showed this pattern means cord transection with isolated distal cord function.

The mechanism of injury tells you the stability before imaging does. A patient thrown from a horse with a flexion-rotation mechanism and a palpable gap between spinous processes has an unstable spine until proven otherwise — even if the X-ray looks benign.

For thoracolumbar rotational fracture-dislocations with paraplegia, a plaster bed is contraindicated. These patients require two-hourly turning to prevent pressure sores, and that requires internal fixation. The principle Holdsworth established that drove the development of modern posterior spinal instrumentation.

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Fractures, Dislocations, and Fracture-Dislocations of the Spine.

Holdsworth·J Bone Joint Surg Am·1970·915 citations·Spine
DOI
SummaryAbstract on publisher site →

Holdsworth's landmark review classifies spinal injuries into five mechanistic types based on the force applied. It asks which injuries are stable, which are unstable, and what neurologic prognosis can be given at 24 hours. Based on over 1000 patients with traumatic paraplegia or tetraplegia at the Sheffield Spinal Injuries Centre.

Study Snapshot

Design
Retrospective cohort
Setting: Single center, Sheffield Spinal Injuries Centre
Objective
Whether spinal fractures can be classified by mechanism to guide treatment
Subjects
1000+ patients with traumatic paraplegia/tetraplegia
Follow-up
Several years (prolonged)

Key Findings

  • Spinal stability depends on the posterior ligament complex (interspinous and supraspinous ligaments, facet capsules, ligamenta flava).
  • A palpable gap between spinous processes almost always means an unstable spine, even with equivocal X-rays.
  • Five injury mechanisms produce five distinct patterns:
    –Pure flexion: stable wedge fracture (posterior complex intact)
    –Flexion-rotation: unstable rotational fracture-dislocation (posterior complex ruptured)
    –Extension: spontaneously reducing cervical dislocation, stable in flexion
    –Vertical compression: stable burst fracture (all ligaments intact)
    –Shearing: complete ligament rupture, always complete paraplegia
  • Rotational fracture-dislocations are the most unstable of all spinal injuries and are almost invariably associated with tetraplegia or paraplegia.
  • Minimal displacement on imaging may give a false sense of stability — the patient was positioned supine before films were taken.
  • Complete paraplegia persisting beyond 24 hours without any return of motor power or sensation equals irreparable cord damage.
  • Holdsworth reports zero exceptions in over 1000 patients. Spinal shock does not persist in complete form beyond 24 hours.
  • Return of reflexes below the lesion without any motor or sensory return is a bad prognostic sign.
  • It means cord transection with distal segment isolation, not recoverable spinal shock. The opposite of what trainees often assume.
Board PearlComplete paraplegia beyond 24 hours without any motor or sensory return means irreparable cord damage — Holdsworth saw zero exceptions in over 1000 patients.

Clinical Relevance

The 24-hour rule from this paper is still how you prognosticate cord injury at the bedside: any patient with complete motor and sensory loss below the lesion at 24 hours has irreparable cord damage.

When you examine a paraplegic patient and find brisk reflexes below the lesion but no motor or sensory return, do not reassure the family that reflexes are a good sign. Holdsworth showed this pattern means cord transection with isolated distal cord function.

The mechanism of injury tells you the stability before imaging does. A patient thrown from a horse with a flexion-rotation mechanism and a palpable gap between spinous processes has an unstable spine until proven otherwise — even if the X-ray looks benign.

For thoracolumbar rotational fracture-dislocations with paraplegia, a plaster bed is contraindicated. These patients require two-hourly turning to prevent pressure sores, and that requires internal fixation. The principle Holdsworth established that drove the development of modern posterior spinal instrumentation.

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