Injury
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Between 1991 and 1994, 21 patients with war missile injuries of the spine and spinal cord were treated; there were 17 men and four women, with a mean age 30.7 years; 52.4 per cent were civilians. The wounds were caused by shells (54.6 per cent) and bullets (45.4 per cent). The thoracic and lumbar spines were most commonly injured, and the injuries were frequently associated with lesions of other organs (47.6 per cent). ⋯ Penetrating injuries of the dura were recorded in 61.9 per cent, while the spinal cord was injured in 28.5 per cent of patients. The dural defect was reconstructed in these patients. There was a low incidence of postoperative complications (14.5 per cent) which emphasizes the importance of early surgery.