A fifty-two-year-old woman suffered from spinal cord injury (paraplegia) following by a Th9 dislocation fracture. She immediately underwent reduction and posterior thoracic fusion with CD system. Eight days after surgery, when the central venous catheter was removed from the right femoral vein, she immediately complained of chest pain, fell into unconsciousness and died. Autopsy revealed complete obstruction of the lumen of both pulmonary arteries due to thromboembolism. The cause of death was recorded as pulmonary thromboembolism resulting from detachment of thrombus which had developed at the femoral vein catheter site. The importance of screening for complications in patients with complete lesions and injuries is discussed.
