From 1962 to 1976, ninety-five patients with fracture-dislocations of
the spine were treated with Harrington instrumentation and fusion within
ninety days of injury. This report presents the results of this procedure
related to reduction, stabilization, return of neural function, and total
hospital stay. Mean follow-up was twenty-one months. Reduction and
stabilization were attained without a substantial number of complications,
but no more return of neural function in the patients was evident than has
been reported in the literature for patients treated with postural
reduction and bed rest. Total hospital stay averaged 107 days from day of
injury.