Acta Medica Okayama 80巻 4号
2026-08 発行

Spinous Process Plate Fixation Alone for an AO Spine Osteoporotic Fracture (OF) 5 Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)-Associated Thoracolumbar Fracture in a Nonagenarian

Yabuno, Satoru Department of Neurosurgery, Kagawa Rosai Hospital
Yunoki, Masatoshi Department of Neurosurgery, Kagawa Rosai Hospital
Takeuchi, Saori Department of Neurosurgery, Kagawa Rosai Hospital
Hirashita, Koji Department of Neurosurgery, Kagawa Rosai Hospital
Publication Date
2026-08
Abstract
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) predisposes the spine to highly unstable fractures because of long lever-arm biomechanics. Unstable injuries, including AO Spine Osteoporotic Fracture (OF) type 5, are typically treated with long-segment posterior instrumentation; however, pedicle-screw fixation may be infeasible in very elderly patients with severe osteoporosis, critically narrow pedicles, and/or significant comorbidities. A 93-year-old Japanese woman presented with severe back pain without apparent trauma. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a T12 fracture with DISH, classified as OF5. The pedicles were critically narrow (3.7-4.1 mm), and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry confirmed severe osteoporosis. Because conventional pedicle-screw fixation was considered technically unsafe and excessively invasive, limited posterior stabilization was performed using a single spinous process plate spanning T10-L1. The operative time was 48 min and the estimated blood loss was 10 ml. Immediate postoperative CT confirmed appropriate implant positioning and maintained alignment. At the 1-year follow-up, CT demonstrated solid bony union with preserved alignment and no implant failure; the patient had remained pain-free and ambulatory. This case demonstrates that spinous process-plate fixation can be a minimally invasive salvage option for carefully selected very-elderly patients with DISH when pedicle-screw instrumentation is not feasible.
Document Type
Case Report
Keywords
DISH
vertebral fracture
osteoporosis
spinous process plate
ISSN
0386-300X
NCID
AA00508441
JaLC DOI
DOI:
80_4_259.pdf 5.28 MB