Treatment of fractures and dislocations of the thoracic and lumbar spine by fusion and Harrington instrumentation.

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.