Treatment strategies in traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries with tetraplegia

In our unit between 1984 and January 1988 we have operatively reduced the hospital treatment time in 21 cases of cervical injuries including spinal cord lesions. An initial reposition was carried out according to the principles of Lorenz Böhler and the fixation achieved using a Smith-Robinson H-plate widge spondylodesis. Further conservative management was carried out as advocated by the late Sir Ludwig Guttmann. Early use of operative techniques meant that we were able to shorten significantly the period of medical rehabilitation as compared with previous conservative methods of treatment.