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Two times unlucky: treatment of repeated adjacent vertebral fractures following posterolateral interbody fusion

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Abstract

Posterolateral interbody fusion with cages and posterior fixation is a widespread, accepted method in the treatment of lumbar instability with and without spinal stenosis. Adjacent level instability was occasionally detected in the neighbouring discs. A fracture of the adjacent vertebral body including the upper disc was not reported in the literature. The authors describe a case of a female patient with two time fractures in the adjacent levels—nontraumatic and traumatic—after posterolateral fusion. Recommendations regarding the operative treatment were given.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Torsten Hantel, Neuroradiologist, for his support in preparing the X-ray and MRI studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Centre of Trauma and Burn injuries, Städtisches Klinikum “St. Georg” Leipzig, Delitzscher Str. 141, 04129, Leipzig, Germany

    O. Sorge & L. Günther

  2. Department of Trauma Surgery, Centre of Trauma and Burn injuries, Städtisches Klinikum “St. Georg” Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    E. Strasser & R. H. Gahr

Authors
  1. O. Sorge
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  2. L. Günther
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  3. E. Strasser
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  4. R. H. Gahr
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Sorge.

Additional information

One of the authors (R.H.G) is a consultant and clinical investigator for Medtronic Sofamor Danek. He has no royalties in any of the products discussed. All authors have no financial interest in the products or results presented in this manuscript.

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Sorge, O., Günther, L., Strasser, E. et al. Two times unlucky: treatment of repeated adjacent vertebral fractures following posterolateral interbody fusion. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 126, 346–349 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-006-0115-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-006-0115-8

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