Harrington instrumentation and spinal fusion surgery performed 1-90 days after injury in 15 patients who had severe lumbar fracturdislocations between 1974 and 1978. This report discusses instrumentation and fusion methods, reduction and stabilisation, neurologic recovery rates and hospitalisation period after this surgery. The follow-up period after the operation was 21 months. Reduction and stabilisation were performed immediately within 12 hours after injury. Conservative and surgical treatment results were similar in complicated patients with neurological findings. But, it can be stated that neurological recovery after spinal iscemia was obtained in patients who operated in first 8 hours, and also hospitalisation period was shorter than conservatively treated patients.
Keywords: Spinal fracture, surgical treatment, Harrington instrumentation