Table 1.

Search strategy (results: 01-04-2006)

Database	Search	Limits	Hits
MEDLINE	(surgical OR surgery) AND (treatment OR stabilization OR fracture repair OR fixation) AND (spinal OR spine OR vertebral) AND (trauma OR injury OR fracture OR polytrauma) AND (timing OR early OR urgent) AND (outcome OR complications OR stay)	Title/abstract	181
EMBASE	[surgical OR (‘surgery’/exp OR ‘surgery’)] AND [treatment OR stabilization OR (‘fracture’/exp OR ‘fracture’) AND repair OR fixation)] AND [(spinal OR (‘spine’/exp OR ‘spine’) OR vertebral] AND [(‘trauma’/exp OR ‘trauma’) OR (‘injury’/exp OR ‘injury’) OR (‘fracture’/exp OR ‘fracture’) OR (‘polytrauma’/exp OR ‘polytrauma’)] AND (timing OR early OR urgent) AND (outcome OR complications OR stay)	None	236