OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the correlation between the manual and digital inter-spinous distance by the Neumann method in burst thoracolumbar fracture, as well as the reproducibility of these two techniques. METHODS: We evaluated 212 x-rays of patients with burst thoracolumbar fracture. There were 60 male and 52 female. The average age at the time of the fracture was 38,9 years (12 - 76 years). RESULTS: The Pearson' coefficient between manual and digital analyses was 0,95 (p<0,01). The agreement coefficient of manual and digital measurements was 0,97 and 0,93, respectively. CONCLUSION: The manual and digital measurements of the inter-spinous distance by the Neumann method presented high correlation and high reproducibility in this series.
Thoracolumbar fracture; Spine; Radiography