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Traumatic thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation in an infant: surgical management using posterior thoracolumbar
Ali Alkhaibary1, Sami Khairy1, Wael Alshaya1
1College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Surgical management of spinal fracture-dislocation in infants is rare. Posterior thoracolumbar instrumentation is safe and effective for correcting deformities and improving outcomes in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Spinal Surgery
- Traumatology
Background:
- Spinal fracture-dislocation is exceptionally rare in infants.
- Surgical management strategies for this condition are not well-documented.
- Traumatic spinal injuries in children require specialized approaches.
Observation:
- An 8-month-old female sustained a T12-L1 fracture-dislocation with kyphosis after a motor vehicle accident.
- Complete spinal cord injury at T10 was identified.
- Radiological assessment revealed a 47° kyphotic deformity.
Findings:
- Successful posterior thoracolumbar instrumentation was performed using a posterior cervical fixation set.
- The surgical intervention corrected the kyphotic deformity.
- The procedure was safely executed in an infant.
Implications:
- Posterior thoracolumbar instrumentation is a viable surgical option for infants with traumatic thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation.
- This approach facilitates rehabilitation and enhances quality of life.
- Experienced neurosurgical centers can safely manage these complex pediatric spinal injuries.
Abstract:
Spinal fracture-dislocation in the infantile population is a rare phenomenon, and its surgical management remains poorly discussed in the literature. This article reports a case of traumatic fracture-dislocation in an infant by outlining the surgical management and extensively reviewing the literature. An 8-month-old girl was involved in a motor vehicle accident and was ejected from the car through the windshield. Radiological imaging demonstrated a complete spinal cord injury at the level of T10 and a three-column fracture of T12-L1, with an evidence of kyphosis measuring 47° at the fracture site. Posterior thoracolumbar instrumentation, using the posterior cervical fixation set, was successfully performed. In experienced neurosurgical centers, posterior thoracolumbar instrumentation can be safely performed in infants with traumatic thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation. This allows for the correction of the kyphotic deformity, facilitation of the rehabilitation course and improvement in the health-related quality of life.
