The poterıtial for clinical instability following thoracolumbar fractures has evoked a progressive increase in in-terest in the surgical treatment of unstable thoracolumbar fractures
From September 1990 to October 1991, 22 thoracolumbar burst fractures were treated surgically by the AO Spinal Internal Fixator at the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinics of Ankara Social Security Hoslpital. Mean fol-low-up period was 13.7 (7-20 m) months. Fourteen (63.5 %) of the patients were male and 8(36.5 %) were femaie.
Postoperatively, mean anterior vertebral height loss and spinal canal compromise were corrected by 36.05 % and 33.37 % respectively. Also postoperatively 16° of improvement was obtained in the mean kyphosis angle. İn light of these data, it is suggested that the AO Spinal Internal Fixator effectively restores three dimentional aling-ment of the spine and provides a rigid fixation.