ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and treatment of ascending paralysis after thoracolumbar fracture.MethodsThree male patients with 2 fracture levels at T12 and one at L1 were retrospectively studied.Their mean age was 41.3 years(range,39-42 years).All 3 cases were undertaken open decompression,reduction and internal fixation.Paralysis level began to ascend at 2-5 days after injury,with 2 cases up to C2,3 and 1 case up to T7.Two patients suffered irritating pain over the paralysis level before onset of ascending.Postoperative MRI images demonstrated well reduction and no compression of spinal cord.In the early phase after ascending,MRI obviously showed swelling in spinal cord and long T1 and long T2 signals shaped patchy and stripy distribution in the central area.One patient's MRI displayed that the spinal cord shrinked 16 days after trauma with abnormal high signal in the central area.ResultsTwo cases died of respiratory muscle paralysis and 1 case suffered paraplegia with no recovery 5 years after surgery.ConclusionAscending paralysis after thoracolumbar fracture is a rare complication with very poor prognosis.MRI is available for evaluating operational effects and affected level.The exact mechanism and effective treatment are still unclear and need further investigated.
ABSTRACT
Objective To discuss the degenerative factors, the spinal segment distribution, and the mechanism in hyperextension injury of cervical spine. Method Eighty-nine patients with hyperextension injury of cervical spine were retrospectively analyzed by observing the degenerativelesion, the spinal cord segment with high signal in T2WI, and the location of facial trauma. Results Fifty-eight cases showed the disc hemiation which was the most common lesion, followed by 8 cases showing the calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Besides, 7 cases presented the developmental stenosis of spinal canal, and also, 6 cases showed disc hemiation combined with the yellow ligament hypertrophy. The intervertebral level of the spinal cord with high signal in T2WI were distributed as follows:4 cases were at C2/3, of which onesuffered the forehead trauma; 12 cases were at C3/ 4, of which 10 had the forehead trauma, and one had the zygomatic trauma; 12 cases were at C4/5, of which 5 had the forehead trauma, one had both the zygomatic and the forehead trauma, and one had both the forehead and with the lower jaw trauma; 11 cases were at CS/6,of which 3 had the forehead trauma, 3 had the zygomatic trauma, and 2 had the lower jaw trauma. The location of the spinal cord with single high signal in T2WI did not correspond with the intervertebral disc level in 4 cases. For 10 cases the high signal in T2WI was found at two discontinuous segments. For 2 cases the 1 high signal in T2WI was found at over two segments. For 6 cases the high signal in T2WI was found at over three segments. Conclusions Disc hemiation is the most common underlyding factor in cervical hyperextension injury. The spinal level with high signal in T2WI was correlative to the impacted facial site. The shear force at the inflection point with or without the anterior-posterior compression force accounted for the cervical hyperextension injury.