Regression trends of neurologic damage in the surgical emergency management of patients with injuries of the cervical vertebrae with spinal cord involvement
Kortmann, H.R.; Wolter, D.; Meinecke, F.W.; Eggers, C.
Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für Alle Gebiete der Operativen Medizen 57(11): 695-701
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-4722 PMID: 3803023 Document Number: 277545
Sixty-five patients with cervical spine injuries and varied neurological deficits were treated operatively. Evaluation revealed an improvement in neurological findings dependent upon the promptness of anatomical reduction in patients with incomplete lesions. The more frequent neurological improvement seen with open reduction and internal fixation as compared with closed reduction was not statistically significant but was felt to justify the additional resources required for internal fixation. In complete lesions, there was no evidence that the time of anatomical reduction was related to improvement in neurological findings.