[Inveterate unilateral lumbosacral dislocation in children. Case report and literature review]

Lumbosacral facet dislocation, whether associated with a fracture or not, is an infrequent lesion in children. The mechanism is hyperflexion due to high energy trauma. We present the case of an 8 year-old patient whose condition began when a soccer goal collapsed and fell on her lumbar area. She was seen at the emergency room and the diagnosis was lumbar sprain. At month 3 she went to the emergency room with persistent pain, lumbosacral deformity and functional impairment. The spine AP and lateral X-rays showed traumatic spondylolisthesis secondary to facet dislocation and fracture of L4 and L5 transverse processes. The neurologic exam was normal. Instrumentation with L4-S1 posterolateral arthrodesis was performed and her postoperative course was appropriate. Proper fusion was achieved at 3 months. At postoperative month 13 the patient was asymptomatic.