Treatment of patients with unstable fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine: a follow-up study of surgical and conservative treatment.

A follow-up study was made to compare the effect of surgical reduction and stabilization of unstable vertebral fractures with the results of conservative treatment. Twenty patients treated by conservative methods and 18 patients subjected to surgical stabilization were analyzed with respect to period of immobilization, healing time, degree of residual deformity, neurological restitution and incidence of complications. The wide variety of initial impairment did not permit any definite conclusions with regard to neurological restitution.

Evaluation of the effects of muscle stretch and weight load in patients with spastic paraplegia.

Clinical observations on patients with spastic paraplegia have indicated that a training regime including weight load on the lower limbs may reduce the muscular hypertonus. Due to the spontaneous fluctuations and great variability in muscle tone it is difficult to judge from clinical findings how the effects may be related to muscle stretch and weight load. Therefore, quantitative determination of the effects on muscle tone by stretch and loading was made in 9 paraplegic patients.

Reduction of muscular hypertonus by long-term muscle stretch.

In 10 patients with spastic paraparesis, the effect of long-term stretch on hip adductor muscle tone was studied. Stretch was accomplished by using a mechanical leg-abductor device giving individually adjusted adductor muscle stretch in single or repeated 30 min periods. The effect on muscle tone was estimated from surface EMG activity and by range of voluntary and passive hip abduction.

Stabilization of spine fracture in paraplegic patients using a plaster cradle.

A plaster cradle for vertebral fracture stabilization in paraplegic patients is described. Thirteen consecutively referred patients have been treated. The advantages of the cradle are that it allows early mobilization in the vertical plane, early ambulation in a convertible wheel-chair in the ward and out-doors and that the nursing staff are subject to less strain during turning sessions than they would be if methods involving lifting were used.