Traumatic Spinal Fracture Dislocation with Neurological Deficit in a 14-Year-Old Boy: Management by Spine Decompression, Posterior Fusion, and Continued-Short-Segment Instrumentation

Thoracolumbar fracture-dislocation by definition is a three-column injury, according to the Denis three-column concept, which may yield an unstable spinal column and neurological deficit. Treatment of fracture-dislocation of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine remains controversial. Although conservative treatment has been beneficial, the inherent instability of this injury usually requires surgical intervention utilizing an anterior or posterior approach for long-term stabilization. We report a 14-year-old boy exhibiting a traumatic L1 fracture-dislocation sustained after jumping from a building’s third floor. Severe low back pain, lower extremity weakness, and urine retention were addressed by nerve decompression and continuedshort- segment fusion from the posterior approach. Excellent clinical outcome and no failure of hardware was reported at the six-month follow-up.