🩻 ThoracoLumbar Extension Fracture (TLEF)
🔹 What It Is
A TLEF is a spinal fracture occurring in the thoracolumbar junction (T10–L2 region), usually due to extension injury (backward bending).
It’s one of the fracture patterns described in the AO Spine Classification System.

🔹 Causes
. Road traffic accidents.
. Falls from height .
. Trauma where spine is forced into hyperextension.
. More common in elderly patients with osteoporosis.

🔹 Symptoms
. Severe back pain.
. Difficulty moving.
. Possible nerve symptoms (numbness, weakness, paralysis) if spinal cord is affected.

🔹 Diagnosis
. X-ray of thoracolumbar spine.
. CT scan → to assess fracture pattern.
. MRI → to check for spinal cord/nerve injury and ligament damage.

🔹 Treatment
1. Non-Surgical (stable fractures, no neurological deficit):
. Brace or corset for 8–12 weeks.
. Bed rest + gradual mobilization.
. Pain management & physiotherapy.

2. Surgical (unstable fractures, spinal cord compression, deformity):
. Spinal fixation (rods, screws) to stabilize vertebrae.
. Decompression if nerves/spinal cord are compressed.
. Sometimes fusion is done if instability is severe.

🔹 Recovery Timeline
. Non-surgical: 2–3 months in brace.
. Surgical: hospital stay ~1 week, walking within days, full recovery 3–6 months.