The treatment of thoracolumbar spinal injuries with paresis by conservative versus surgical methods.

18 patients with cord or root involvement in thoracolumbar injuries underwent posterior spinal surgery, including 11 Harrington instrumentations. 11 similar patients were treated conservatively. Surgery offered no definite advantage for neural recovery, nor did it curtail the duration of hospitalisation. However, it significantly decreased post-traumatic kyphotic deformity and improved the vertebral alignment. Morbidity and implant failure were noted in 27% of the operated cases. It would appear that operative stabilisation of the thoracolumbar injuries of the spine is indicated in selected cases where there is a risk of significant post-traumatic kyphotic deformity with gross vertebral body displacement.