Concomitant cranio-cerebral and vertebro-medullary injuries. Analysis of 121 cases

The authors report 121 cases of concomitant cranio-cerebral and vertebro-medullary injuries observed during a period of eight years. The vertebral trauma was cervical in 59 cases, thoracic T2-T9 in 27, thoraco-lumbar T10-L2 in 30 and lumbo-sacral in 5. Surgical treatment for both cranio-cerebral and vertebro-medullary injury was performed in 6 cases, for the cranio-cerebral lesion only in 27, for the vertebro-medullary one only in 25. The remaining cases had both lesions treated conservatively. Although concomitant cranio-cerebral and vertebro-medullary traumas are considered not uncommon, large series of cases are scanty. The peculiar diagnostic and therapeutic problems that this association of injuries poses are discussed. Long term results are analyzed as well.