Recovery considerations after internal fixation of lumbar spine fractures

  After surgery, patients need strict bed rest, and the bed should preferably be made of a hard board bed for about 4-6 weeks, which can be determined according to the patient’s age, physical condition and the extent of the resected tissue.  Early turning after surgery should be assisted by nursing staff and should not be turned strongly by oneself to ensure good healing of the lumbar fascia, muscles and ligaments.  After sufficient bed rest, you can go down to do light activities such as going to the toilet or sitting up to eat under the protection of suitable braces; if intraoperative bone grafting is done, it is recommended not to go down or sit up too much, and bed rest is still the mainstay.  During the recovery period, patients should gradually strengthen the exercise of the muscle strength of the low back and pay attention to the correction of poor posture, and avoid forward flexion and rotation of the spine during the exercise, which can gradually start from 6-8 weeks.  When turning over, the lumbar region should be maintained in an extended position and the shoulder and pelvis should be rotated in a straight line at the same time.  After surgery, brain workers should gradually return to work after 2-3 months, and manual workers should start working only after 3-4 months. The work should be light to heavy, the working time from short to long, and avoid doing strong bending into weight-bearing activities.