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Failure of conservative treatment for thoracic spine fracture in ankylosing spondylitis: delayed neurological deficit due to spinal epidural hematoma

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are prone to spinal fracture after even minor trauma. We report a case of thoracic spinal fracture in a patient with AS who developed a secondary neurological deficit due to delayed diagnosis and prolonged conservative treatment. When the neurological deficit occurred, the fractured segment showed no displacement, but a spinal epidural hematoma was present. Surgical treatment produced significant neurological improvement, although incomplete paralysis persisted.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Ms. Tomoko Abe for help with data collection.

Conflict of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Toho University, Sakura Medical Center, 654-1 Shimoshizu, Sakura, Chiba, 285-8741, Japan

    Yasuchika Aoki, Arata Nakajima & Koichi Nakagawa

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chiba Rosai Hospital, Chiba, Japan

    Yasuchika Aoki, Masatsune Yamagata, Yoshikazu Ikeda & Fumitake Nakajima

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

    Seiji Ohtori & Kazuhisa Takahashi

  4. Department of Radiology, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Chiba, Japan

    Tsutomu Inaoka

Authors
  1. Yasuchika Aoki
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  2. Masatsune Yamagata
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  3. Yoshikazu Ikeda
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  4. Fumitake Nakajima
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  5. Arata Nakajima
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  6. Koichi Nakagawa
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  7. Seiji Ohtori
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  8. Tsutomu Inaoka
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  9. Kazuhisa Takahashi
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Correspondence to Yasuchika Aoki.

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Aoki, Y., Yamagata, M., Ikeda, Y. et al. Failure of conservative treatment for thoracic spine fracture in ankylosing spondylitis: delayed neurological deficit due to spinal epidural hematoma. Mod Rheumatol 23, 1008–1012 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-012-0726-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-012-0726-6

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