Interlaminar wiring 'On the rods' as an addition to Harri-Luque procedure in the surgical treatment of three column thoracic spine injuries: Case reports and review of the literature

In the surgical stabilization of a three column thoracic spine injury, the distractive forces created by Harrington instrumentation may lead to a significant complication rate. We present four cases of such unstable spine injuries, that were stabilized using a Harrington distraction device, together with sublaminar wiring. The sublaminar wires immediately adjacent, both proximally and distally to the injured segment were tightened together on the rods, achieving additional strength and stability. The method, that we called interlaminar wiring 'on the rods', is a simple and rapidly performed technique that enhances the possibility of an anatomical reduction and adds safety, strength and stability when using Harrington-Luque instrumentation in spinal trauma surgery.