Table 5.

Complications in patients treated surgically for spine fractures versus patients treated for fractures of the pelvis, acetabulum, and/or femur

	Thoracolumbar spine fracture	Other fractures
Fixation ≤36 h (n = 269)	52 patients	217 patients
Any complication	13 (25 %)*	31 (14 %)
Pulmonary complication	11 (21 %)*	18 (8.3 %)
Fixation >36 h (n = 66)	27 patients	39 patients
Any complication	9 (33 %)**	13 (33 %)***
Pulmonary complication	5 (19 %)	2 (5.1 %)
All patients (n = 335)	79 patients	256 patients
Any complication	22 (28 %)*	44 (16 %)
Pulmonary complication	16 (20 %)*	20 (7.8 %)

*all p < 0.03 for patients with spine fractures versus other fractures

**p = 0.04 for spine patients treated within 36 h versus later

***p = 0.002 for patients without spine fractures treated within 36 h versus later