These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Surgical management of severely displaced pediatric seat-belt fracture-dislocations of the lumbar spine associated with occlusion of the abdominal aorta and avulsion of the cauda equina: a report of two cases.
    Author: Crawford CH, Puno RM, Campbell MJ, Carreon LY.
    Journal: Spine (Phila Pa 1976); 2008 May 01; 33(10):E325-8. PubMed ID: 18449033.
    Abstract:
    STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVE: To present 2 cases of fracture-dislocations of the lumbar spine associated with injury to the aorta and avulsion of the cauda equina and present recommendations regarding urgent management of these injuries. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The "seat-belt syndrome" was first described by Garrett and Braunstein in 1962 to describe intraabdominal visceral injuries with fractures of the lumbar spine. Although this syndrome has been described in previously, there have been no reported cases of pediatric patients with significant injury to the abdominal aorta. METHODS: We present 2 seat-belt injuries occurring within a 4 month period at a pediatric trauma center with significantly displaced lumbar fracture-dislocation, abdominal aortic occlusion, and complete neurologic injury. RESULTS: Rigid fixation of the spinal fracture dislocation in both cases was delayed since these patients were deemed to be hemodynamically unstable. Aggressive mobilization, wound care, and pulmonary toilet were possible after stabilization of the spine. Despite this, 1 patient eventually died. CONCLUSION: These cases need to be managed according to principles established in the treatment of extremity fractures with vascular and neurologic injuries. That is, early rigid fixation of the fracture to protect the vascular repair.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]