Stabbed to the back! A C-clamp technique used to stabilize a C7 sagittal split fracture.

The management of stab wounds to the back is controversial. This case report entails a 17-year-old female that was assaulted from behind and stabbed to the lower cervical region with a knife. The patient reported mild lower limb hypoesthesia. Neuroradiological exams showed a sagittal split fracture of C7, with a contextual split lesion of the spinal cord. The patient underwent surgical intervention for the stabilization of the sagittal split fracture via the C-clamp technique and dura mater plastic. In the current literature, the use of the C-clamp technique for the stabilization of a lower cervical fracture has never been reported.

The effectiveness of short hybrid stabilization with sublaminar bands and transpedicular screws in the treatment of thoracolumbar spine fractures.

BACKGROUND: Long constructs have always been widely recommended for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures, due to their biomechanical stability and minimal postoperative loss of correction. However, short constructs have significant advantages, since they enable for better postoperative lumbar mobility and reduce the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hybrid screw/sublaminar bands short constructs, used for the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. METHODS: From June 2015 until November 2017, 20 consecutive patients (14 male, 6 female) with an average age of 52.9 years, exhibiting at least one traumatic fracture in the thoracolumbar region, were treated with hybrid screw/sublaminar bands short constructs. The data for analysis included: duration of the intervention, intraoperative blood loss, complications, and clinical and radiographic postoperative results, compared with the standard for thoracolumbar fixation. RESULTS: The use of this type of construct allowed for simple reduction, stabilization of the fractures, and restoration of the physiological spine curvatures. During the postoperative period none of the patients had neurological worsening. 18 out of 20 patients were followed up for two years. One patient sustained implant failure six months after surgery and underwent a surgical implant revision with traditional long fixation. After two years, stability and fusion were obtained in all patients, along with correct spine alignment. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid screw/sublaminar bands short constructs seem to be effective in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures, providing the same clinical results of the state-of-the-art pedicular screw/rod long constructs, but in addition they allow for better postoperative lumbar mobility and subsequently reduce the risk of adjacent segments degeneration. The results of this clinical case series might support the initiation of prospective randomized trials with more patients, a longer follow-up period, and control groups.