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Lap‐belt injury with complete avulsion of the spinal cord and cauda equina
Author(s) -
Tubbs R. Shane,
Golden Blake,
Doyle Scott,
Grabb Paul A.,
Oakes W. Jerry
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.20211
Subject(s) - medicine , cauda equina , avulsion , fascia , spinal cord , surgery , dissection (medical) , cauda equina syndrome , spinal cord injury , anatomy , psychiatry
The authors report a child who was involved in an automobile accident. The patient was restrained by a rear seat lap belt. Radiological examination revealed an L4 Chance‐type fracture and ligamentous disruption at the L4–L5 interval. During superficial dissection of the paraspinal muscles for a spinal fusion procedure, the cauda equina and the lower spinal cord (several centimeters) were visible, completely transected and herniated into the extraspinal space through a disrupted thoracolumbar fascia. The clinician should be aware of the potentially devastating results following a lap‐belt injury in which a Chance fracture is produced. Clin. Anat. 19:665–668, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.