FRANKEL-A PARAPLEGIA - A COMPARISON OF 2 SPINAL INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEMS

Seventeen patients with unstable thoracolumbar fracture dislocations a nd Frankel A (complete) paraplegia had posterior spinal fusion and ins trumentation-nine with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation and eight with Luque rod instrumentation (LRI). Both systems maintained fracture red uction, and fusion occurred in all cases within a mean of 42 months (r ange, 30 to 66 months). Operative time and associated blood loss was l ess in the LRI group. One patient with LRI had fracture of the sublami nar wires that did not lead to loss of reduction or nonunion. Both ins trumentation systems provided long-term posterior spinal stabilization in these patients.