[Development and clinical application of a thoracoscopy implantable plate frame for treatment of thoracolumbar fractures and instabilities].

The evolution of endoscopic spinal approaches and the associated possibilities for stabilization of the anterior column demands a new generation of spinal implants. Of particular interest is the possibility to implant using an endoscopic approach and the ability to achieve real angular stability so that for a suitable injury pattern an exclusively anterior procedure can be carried out. Since November 1999, a new type of anterior plate, MACS TL, developed to meet minimally invasive clinical requirements, has been used in the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik in Murnau, Germany for treating the mid and lower thoracic and lumbar region. The following reports on the results of the first 100 procedures carried out over a period of 15 months, of which 93% were performed endoscopically. The results convey a trend toward anterior endoscopic treatment of injuries of the anterior column using an implant with angular stability. The results now available on healing after fusion indicate the favorable influence of the stability provided by the implants on the bone-healing rate.