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.