[Late results of the Harrington treatment method for posttraumatic injuries of the thoracic and lumbar spine].

At Stołeczne Centrum Rehabilitacji Harrington method along with Weiss spring alloplasty has been introduced for fractured spine stabilization in the early seventies. A modified Bacal-Wierusz (BW) distractor has been mainly used to stabilize the spine after trauma related fracture. The paper presents neurological and radiological results of Harrington method used within thoracic and lumbar spine in 86 patients between 1973 and 1993. There were 36 cases of plegia, 44 paretic patients and 6 cases with no neurological impairment. Thoraco-lumbar spine has been involved in 66% and lumbar spine in 17%. Mean follow-up was 6 years. Loss of the correction achieved at the surgery has been determined after analysis of the final radiographs. In radiological evaluation 66% results were rated good. Neurological improvement occurred in 37% and remarkable improvement in 16% of cases. The authors believe Harrington method does not provide good, triplanar stabilization for the spine.