Treatment of fractures of the vertebral limbus and spinal stenosis in five adolescents and five adults

Abstract

Fractures of the vertebral limbus occur between the vertebral ring apophyses and the cartilaginous rim of the superior or inferior margins of the vertebral end plates. These fractures are typically seen in adolescents or young adults, since fusion in this area is not complete until the ages of 18 to 25. Of 85 cases reported, 24 occurred in adolescents. The authors present the clinical, neurodiagnostic, and surgical management of fractures of the vertebral limbus and coincident segmental spinal stenosis in a group of 5 adolescents and 5 adults. An additional category for fractures of the vertebral limbus is proposed, namely, a lesion that is not confined to the superior or inferior margins of the vertebral end plates, but that spans the full length of the vertebral body.