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Hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracic spine

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Abstract

Extension injuries of the thoracolumbar spine are rare and often are not included in classifications of thoracolumbar trauma. Hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracolumbar spine is characterized radiographically by widening of the intervertebral disc space anteriorly. Additional features may include retrolisthesis, impaction fractures of the middle and posterior columns, and anterior inferior endplate corner fractures. Magnetic resonance imaging typically reveals rupture of the anterior longitudinal ligament and hemorrhage into the disc space, and it may demonstrate associated soft tissue or spinal cord injury. We present a case of hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracic spine in a middle-aged female involved in a motor vehicle collision and discuss the salient features of this injury.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 21st Avenue South and Garland, 37232-2675, Nashville, TN

    Roy E. Erb M.D., Steven B. Glassman M.D. & E. Paul Nance Jr. M.D.

  2. Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee

    John R. Edwards M.D.

Authors
  1. Roy E. Erb M.D.
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  2. Steven B. Glassman M.D.
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  3. John R. Edwards M.D.
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  4. E. Paul Nance Jr. M.D.
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Erb, R.E., Glassman, S.B., Edwards, J.R. et al. Hyperextension fracture-dislocation of the thoracic spine. Emergency Radiology 2, 237–240 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02615825

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02615825

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