[Spinal injuries without neurologic complications]

Instability of the injured spine may be bony, which allows only limited displacement, or osteo-disco-ligamentous where the potentiality for displacement is unlimited. A reasonable degree of purely bony displacement can be accepted in the spine, and only when the deformity is considerable is closed or open reduction necessary. However, osteo-disco-ligamentous instability requires operative stabilisation. There is a risk of post operative medullary complications, which can be lessened by sound surgical technique, but this has to be judged against the possibility of secondary cord damage in an unstable injury. Properly performed operations should allow the same degree of correction to be obtained in the spine as is customary in long bones. This will lessen the aesthetic and functional problems which occur secondary to the spinal deformity, and lessen the risk of onset of neurological damage arising as a result of acquired spinal stenosis.