Abstract
The study design included a case report of Charcot spinal arthropathy treated with posterior and anterior spinal instrumentation. The objective of the study was to report an unusual case of Charcot spinal arthropathy as a late complication of traumatic spinal cord injury in a patient previously treated with a long posterior thoraco-lumbar instrumentation and postero-lateral fusion. A 33-year-old man with T10–T11 complete paraplegia presented with focal low back pain, kyphotic deformity of the lumbar region with L2–L3 fracture–dislocation and hardware failure. Our treatment consisted of a circumferential arthrodesis performed with a combined anterior and posterior approach. Spinal stabilization was achieved and the patient was pain free and able to resume a sitting posture. This report suggests that the development of a Charcot spine arthropathy must always be considered as a late complication of a spinal cord injury. Moreover, we would emphasize the fundamental role of a strict clinical and radiological follow-up in order to detect an early Charcot spine complication.
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Proietti, L., Pola, E., Nasto, L.A. et al. Onset of a Charcot spinal arthropathy at a level lacking surgical arthrodesis in a paraplegic patient with traumatic cord injury. Eur Spine J 19 (Suppl 2), 83–86 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-009-1055-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-009-1055-0