Frankel A paraplegia: a comparison of two spinal instrumentation systems.

Seventeen patients with unstable thoracolumbar fracture dislocations and Frankel A (complete) paraplegia had posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation--nine with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation and eight with Luque rod instrumentation (LRI). Both systems maintained fracture reduction, and fusion occurred in all cases within a mean of 42 months (range, 30 to 66 months). Operative time and associated blood loss was less in the LRI group. One patient with LRI had fracture of the sublaminar wires that did not lead to loss of reduction or nonunion. Both instrumentation systems provided long-term posterior spinal stabilization in these patients.