Table 2.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria.

Inclusion criteria
A3 and A4 thoracolumbar fractures (T10-L3) (AO spine injury classification21,22) or, in the case of a mixed study population, with stratified analysis presenting results of patients with A3 and A4 fractures alone
Skeletally mature patients
Neurologically intact patients or, in the case of a mixed study population, with stratified analysis presenting results of neurologically intact patients alone
Intervention group size: ≥20 analyzed patients
Any type of conservative treatment OR Any type of surgical treatment except Kyphoplasty Vertebroplasty Augmentation Vertebral body stenting Isolated anterior approach
At least one of the following clinical outcome parameters contained in analysis: Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)25 SF 36/12/841 Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)40 Visual analog scale (VAS) back pain Hannover spine score43
Minimum mean follow-up time of 12 months
Publication date from 2000 onward
Exclusion criteria
Fractures other than A3 and A4 according to the AO spine injury classification21,22
Fractures caused by Diminished bone mineral density (BMD) (eg, osteoporosis or osteopenia, “geriatric fractures,” fractures in postmenopausal women) Neoplastic disease (eg, mention of cancer, metastases, “pathological fracture”)