Cord Injury After Reduction of Cervical Spine Dislocation

A Case Report

Abstract

A male, aged fifty-six, had sustained a anterior dislocation of the 5th cervical vertebra with lock of unilateral articular process by falling down from the head.
There had been no clinical evidence of cord injury except for the 6th cervical root involvement of the right arm.
After 10 hours of closed reduction, patient begun to complain sever back pain and symptoms of cord pressure slowly developed untill he could no longer move his extremities.
The examination of cerebrospinal fluid revealed complete spinal canal block.
Surgical treatment was attempted after 65 hours of reduction.
Protrusion of ruptured cervical disc between 5th and 6th was found and excised, and 5 months after anterior spinal fusion almost all neurological signs have disappeared.