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. 2018 Jun 13:4:48.
doi: 10.1038/s41394-018-0086-3. eCollection 2018.

Direct withdrawal of a knife in the lumbar spinal canal in a patient without neurological deficit: case report and review of the literature

Francisco Ismael Villarreal-García  1 , Pedro Martin Reyes-Fernández  1 , Oscar Armando Martínez-Gutiérrez  1 , Víctor Manuel Peña-Martínez  1 , Rodolfo Morales-Ávalos  1
Affiliations

Direct withdrawal of a knife in the lumbar spinal canal in a patient without neurological deficit: case report and review of the literature

Francisco Ismael Villarreal-García et al. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. .

Abstract

Introduction: Stab-wound injuries to the spinal cord are rare and currently, do not have a well-established management in the literature despite its strong association with neurological injury.

Case presentation: We report a case of a patient with a stab-wound injury with a knife in the lumbar region, who underwent direct removal in the operating room without surgical exploration. Upon admission, the patient had no neurological deficit. The X-rays and CT scan before removal showed the involvement of >50% of the intramedullary canal at L2. The removal was performed in the operating room with a surgical team available and ready in case there was neurological deterioration during the procedure.

Discussion: We concluded that any neurologic deficit in a patient with a stab-wound injury in the spine must mandate surgical exploration and in patients without neurological deficit, direct removal of the stabbing object is a safe and effective method without adding the risks of a surgical exploration.

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Conflict of interest statement

Compliance with ethical standardsAll the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.*The patient was asked for his written consent for the publication of his clinical case, mentioning that no personal information will be revealed.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Clinical image of the patient at admission in the Emergency Department
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
AP and lateral radiograph showing the knife in L2
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Axial view of the CT scan showing the spinal canal involvement
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
AP and Lateral radiograph showing no retained material in the canal
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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