CLOSED REDUCTION OF FRACTURED LUMBAR SPINE WITH UNILATERAL DISLOCATION

Fracture dislocations of the lumbar vertebrae are rare. According to Frazier and Allen¹ the infrequency of lumbar dislocations may be attributed to a number of anatomic factors. Unlike the cervical region, where dislocations are most common, there is a comparatively limited range of motion in the lumbar region; the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae are much larger in every dimension the intervertebral disks are thicker and more elastic; the ligaments at this level of the spine have great strength, and finally—what is probably a factor of greatest importance—the articular processes interlock. These authors have stated that with one exception in all cases dislocations of the lumbar vertebrae have been either backward or forward. In the exceptional case, reported by Schmid,¹ a rotary dislocation is seen in roentgenograms with the second, or proximal, vertebra projected to the right 1.5 cm. beyond the third, or distal, vertebra and the alinement