"Although the AO Spine classification has been validated and shown to be reliable among international spine surgeons 1,2, its routine clinical use varies greatly from institution to institution and it is not safe to assume that clinicians reading a report are familiar with it. It is therefore not wise to simply describe an injury as "B2.""
"A0: no fracture or clinically insignificant fracture of the spinous or transverse processes"
"A1: wedge compression or impaction fracture, which involves a single endplate of the vertebral body without involvement of the posterior vertebral wall"
"A2: split or pincer type fracture, which involves both endplates without the involvement of the posterior wall"
"A3: incomplete burst fracture, which involves a single endplate along with the posterior vertebral wall"
"A4: complete burst fracture, which involves both endplates along with the posterior vertebral wall; split fractures that involve the posterior vertebral wall are also included"
"B1: Chance fracture or pure transosseous tension band disruption, which involves a single vertebra with fracture through the pedicles and out the pars interarticularis or spinous process"
"B2: osseoligamentous posterior tension band disruption, which involves a motion segment with disruption of the posterior ligamentous complex with or without involving the bony posterior elements"
"B3: hyperextension injuries, which disrupt the anterior tension band by tearing the anterior longitudinal ligament and extending either through the intervertebral disc or vertebral body; the injury may extend into the posterior tension band but an at least partially intact posterior hinge prevents complete displacement. These are common in ankylosing conditions, such as DISH or ankylosing spondylitis."
"N0: no focal neurological signs present"
"N1: a history of transient neurological deficit"
"N2: current signs or symptoms of radiculopathy"
"N3: an incomplete spinal cord or cauda equina injury"
"N4: complete spinal cord injury (complete absence of motor and sensory function; ASIA A)"
"M1: the presence of tension band injury is indeterminate (whether or not MRI was performed); applies to injuries that seem stable from a bony standpoint (type A) but the possibility of ligamentous insufficiency (type B) remains, which would guide consideration of operative stabilisation"
"M2: the presence of co-morbid conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, osteopenia, osteoporosis, overlying burns, etc."
"B3: hyperextension injuries, which disrupt the anterior tension band by tearing the anterior longitudinal ligament and extending either through the intervertebral disc or vertebral body; the injury may extend into the posterior tension band but an at least partially intact posterior hinge prevents complete displacement. These are common in ankylosing conditions, such as DISH or ankylosing spondylitis."
"The AO Spine classification of thoracolumbar injuries is a commonly used thoracolumbar spinal fracture classification system."
"The AO Spine thoracolumbar injury classification appears suitable for both adult and paediatric populations 1-4."
"Although the AO Spine classification has been validated and shown to be reliable among international spine surgeons 1,2, its routine clinical use varies greatly from institution to institution and it is not safe to assume that clinicians reading a report are familiar with it. It is therefore not wise to simply describe an injury as "B2.""
"The components and descriptive terms used in the classification are, however, an excellent summary of the clinically relevant features of these injuries. Combining the prose descriptors along with the AO Spine alphanumeric classification, even though redundant, may increase acceptance among practitioners who are not familiar 1."
"Unlike the other widely used system, the thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS), the AO Spine classification system is primarily descriptive rather than aiming to determine treatment, has more options for describing fracture morphology, and is designed for primary evaluation by CT with or without MRI. Moreover, the AO Spine system assigns separate alphanumeric codes for the injury morphology and neurological status, whereas TLICS combines these assessments in a numeric score."
"Unlike the other widely used system, the thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS), the AO Spine classification system is primarily descriptive rather than aiming to determine treatment, has more options for describing fracture morphology, and is designed for primary evaluation by CT with or without MRI. Moreover, the AO Spine system assigns separate alphanumeric codes for the injury morphology and neurological status, whereas TLICS combines these assessments in a numeric score."
"The AO Spine system may have better reliability and correlation to surgical management than TLICS 1-5."
"The AO Spine thoracolumbar classification system consists of three classes of thoracolumbar injuries."
"N4: complete spinal cord injury (complete absence of motor and sensory function; ASIA A)"
"NX: cannot be assessed (e.g., due to head injury, intoxication, sedation)"
"The thoracolumbar AOSpine injury score (TL AOSIS) was devised and validated to guide surgical treatment 5. The injury categories correspond to points:"
"The thoracolumbar AOSpine injury score (TL AOSIS) was devised and validated to guide surgical treatment 5. The injury categories correspond to points:"
"NX: 3 points"
"The AO Spine system (2013) supercedes the more complex and less reproducible AO Magerl classification 3."
"The AO Spine system (2013) supercedes the more complex and less reproducible AO Magerl classification 3."
"AO Spine classification systems"
"AO Spine: upper cervical classification system"
"AO Spine: subaxial cervical classification system"
"AO Spine: sacral classification system"
"AO Spine Classification Calculator - Rad At Hand"
"Morphology (A, B or C)"
"Neurological signs (N)"
"Modifiers (M)"
"A: compression injuries"
"B: distraction injuries"
"Injuries are coded according to the vertebral level involved (e.g., T12: A4) except for injuries that involve the discs, facets, or ligaments between vertebrae, which are coded by the motion segment (e.g., T12-L1: B2)."
"Injuries are coded according to the vertebral level involved (e.g., T12: A4) except for injuries that involve the discs, facets, or ligaments between vertebrae, which are coded by the motion segment (e.g., T12-L1: B2)."
Expected headings
"Morphology (A, B or C)"
"A: compression injuries"
"B: distraction injuries"
"C: displacement/translational injuries"
"Neurological signs (N)"
"Modifiers (M)"
"Scoring"
"External links"
"Morphology (A, B or C)"
"Injuries are coded according to the vertebral level involved (e.g., T12: A4) except for injuries that involve the discs, facets, or ligaments between vertebrae, which are coded by the motion segment (e.g., T12-L1: B2)."
"NX: cannot be assessed (e.g., due to head injury, intoxication, sedation)"
"A4: complete burst fracture, which involves both endplates along with the posterior vertebral wall; split fractures that involve the posterior vertebral wall are also included"
"B3: hyperextension injuries, which disrupt the anterior tension band by tearing the anterior longitudinal ligament and extending either through the intervertebral disc or vertebral body; the injury may extend into the posterior tension band but an at least partially intact posterior hinge prevents complete displacement. These are common in ankylosing conditions, such as DISH or ankylosing spondylitis."
"N4: complete spinal cord injury (complete absence of motor and sensory function; ASIA A)"
"M1: the presence of tension band injury is indeterminate (whether or not MRI was performed); applies to injuries that seem stable from a bony standpoint (type A) but the possibility of ligamentous insufficiency (type B) remains, which would guide consideration of operative stabilisation"