Treatment of pediatric multilevel cervical spine fractures in resource-limited settings: a case report.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The main purpose of this study was to highlight the therapeutic approach of pediatric multilevel noncontiguous cervical spine fractures in resource-limited settings. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 15-year-old teenager with C1, C2, C4, C6, and C7 fractures following fall from height treated with a modified external fixator. At final follow-up, he fully recovered neurologic functions with bone healing. CONCLUSION: The modified external fixator is a therapeutic modality for pediatric multilevel noncontiguous cervical spine fractures.

Early presentation of traumatic cervical disc herniation with neurologic deficit and without an adjacent bone lesion.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to explore clinical features and the operational opportunity of traumatic cervical disc herniation. METHOD: Patients with cervical spine injury (413) were retrospectively reviewed. Six patients with neurological deficits were identified to have disc herniation without adjacent bone lesion. The diagnosis was confirmed by MRI. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score was used to assess the severity of clinical symptoms. Different grading systems have been used in analyzing various stages of herniated cervical discs. All patients underwent anterior cervical decompression, insertion of autologous iliac crest graft, and fixation with cervical plate. RESULTS: The causes of injury were road traffic accidents in four patients and sport and domestic accidents in one patient each. There were five patients with single intervertebral disc herniation and one patient with double. Pre-operative JOA score was 14 for three patients, the remaining three patients scored 10, 6, and 3 respectively. At final follow-up, the score was 17 for four patients and 14 for two patients. DISCUSSION: Traumatic cervical disc herniation with neurologic deficit and without adjacent bone lesion is a rare condition. MRI is the golden examination to confirm diagnosis. Early recognition is essential for appropriate therapy and to minimize the extent of neurological deficit. CONCLUSION: The MRI is mandatory in diagnosing different types of traumatic herniated cervical disc. Discectomy and anterior cervical interbody fusion using autologous iliac crest graft are the treatment options.

Spinal Cord Injury Due to Cervical Disc Herniation without Bony Involvement Caused by Wrestling - A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Many cases of cervical spinal disc herniation caused by sporting injury have been reported. Those cases generally accompanied high-energy trauma such as fractures and/or dislocations. The purpose is to present the case of spinal cord injury (SCI) due to cervical disc herniation without bony involvement caused by wrestling. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 23-year-old man who sustained a cervical SCI during the wrestling competition. He was quadriplegic with no sensory or motor function preserved in sacral segments S4-S5. Conventional radiographs and computed tomography did not reveal bony abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a free herniated cervical disc severely compressing the spinal cord from central at C3/4 level. He underwent anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion using autologous iliac crest bone graft and fixation with the cervical plate. He made an eventful recovery, and 5 years later, he was playing at high competitive level. CONCLUSION: Competitive wrestling-related injuries are quite high. Fortunately, the incidence of SCI among wrestlers is extremely low. Although rare, SCI due to cervical disc herniation without bony involvement is a serious debilitating injury that exerts a devastating effect on a wrestler from a physical, psychological, and socioeconomic point of view, and places an immense burden on society from a public health perspective. The MRI is the golden examination in diagnosing such lesion. The management comprises surgical decompression of neural elements, stabilization, and fusion to provide a higher recovery rate from cord damage to return to play. Wrestler who is completely pain free with full range of motion and strength may be eligible for return to play.