Thoracolumbar burst frac-tures: the clinical efficacy and outcome of nonoperative management

A storage heater for heating a gaseous heat extraction medium is formed of a container of heat resistant material, preferably metal. At least one guide duct, in the form of a tube for carrying the gaseous heat extraction medium, extends through the container which holds a heat storage medium in the form of a pourable bulk of particulate solid material. The thermal storage medium comprises a bulk in which the product of specific heat of the solid material and the bulk density of the mass is at least 0.7 kcal/ DEG C dm3, the specific heat of the solids material being at least 0.12 kcal/ DEG C kgf and the bulk density of the solids material being at least 2.5 kgf/dm3. The thermal storage medium is a material which can be in direct contact with the air to be heated for places of human habitation.