A case of dual three-column thoracic spinal fractures following traumatic injury

Taylor Waitt; Vamsi Reddy; Dayton Grogan; Pearce Lane; Joseph Kilianski; John DeVine; Alexander Post

doi:10.25259/SNI_189_2020

A case of dual three-column thoracic spinal fractures following traumatic injury

Surg Neurol Int. 2020 Jun 13:11:150. doi: 10.25259/SNI_189_2020. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Taylor Waitt¹, Vamsi Reddy¹, Dayton Grogan¹, Pearce Lane², Joseph Kilianski¹, John DeVine², Alexander Post¹

Affiliations

¹ Departments of Neurosurgery, Augusta University Hospital, Augusta, Georgia, United States.
² Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, Augusta University Hospital, Augusta, Georgia, United States.

Abstract

Background: Thoracic spine fracture-dislocations due to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) rarely involve double- level, noncontiguous lesions.

Case description: A 19-year-old male following an MVA was paraplegic; he exhibited full motor/sensory loss below the T4 level (i.e., ASIA scale Grade A). The chest X-ray, magnetic resonance, and computed tomography studies confirmed T3-T5 and T11-12 fractures, warranting T3-L3 thoracolumbar decompression and fusion. Despite surgical intervention, the patient's neurological status remained unchanged.

Conclusion: This case illustrates the rare presentation of noncontiguous, posttraumatic thoracic spinal lesions requiring simultaneous decompression/fixation.

Keywords: Noncontiguous spinal injury; Spondyloptosis; Thoracic spinal injury; Trauma.

Publication types

Case Reports