title: Treatment of fractures and dislocations of the thoracic and lumbar spine by fusion and Harrington instrumentation.
abstract: Thirty-three patients with fractures of the thoracolumbar spine were treated by fusion and Harrington instrumentation after early reduction and stabilisation by postural reduction or halo-bifemoral traction. The rod-long-fuse-short technique was used. Postoperatively, all patients were mobilised with an external support. The mean follow-up was 6 years (range 1-13 years). Twenty-eight patients were pain-free, three patients needed sporadic pain medication. One patient was not working due to pain in his leg. One patient had constant pain. Twenty-three patients returned to work. The mean kyphosis increased from 8 degrees postoperatively to 13 degrees at follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Westeinde Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Devilee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Lange
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*