In a study of 327 patients in a growing rod study, researchers found that 86 rod fractures occurred among 49 patients. The most common fracture was the tandem connectors and near the thoracolumbar junction.
The majority of fractures occurred among ambulatory patients and patients who received a single rod instead of a dual rod. The patients in the single rod group were also at greater risk of having a repeat fracture. There was a 26 percent chance among the patients with dual-rod constructs that both rods would break at the same time, and stainless steel rods were more likely to fracture than titanium rods.
The risk factors for rod fractures include:
• Prior fracture
• Single rods
• Stainless steel rods
• Small diameter rods,
• Proximity to tandem connectors
• Preoperative ambulation
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