The halo brace in unstable fractures of the cervical spine: a review of 14 cases.

A series of 14 patients with unstable fractures of the cervical spine, treated initially with skull traction and a few days later with a halo-thoracic brace, is described. Nine of the injuries were fractures of the odontoid process and the rest were at various levels. No patient with major neurological defects was included in the halo brace treatment. The halo brace provides significant advantages, including immediate mobilization with less time in hospital and less nursing. The results of the present series are encouraging; stable conditions were achieved in all cases.