Unilateral Lumbar Facet Dislocation: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Facet dislocations of the lumbar spine, particularly without neurologic injury, are rare occurrences after major trauma. Although there are documented cases of lumbosacral dislocation in the published literature, strictly lumbar unilateral facet dislocation is rare.

Case description: We report a case of a unilateral facet dislocation at L4-L5 after a single vehicle motorcycle accident. This injury was treated with posterior open reduction and instrumented stabilization with good results.

Conclusions: Given the rarity of this injury pattern, the management of this type of injury is not established. Careful imaging to make the diagnosis is crucial, and we recommend a surgical treatment in the form of an open reduction and instrumented stabilization. In our case, we achieved good outcomes with a posterior approach.

Keywords: Dislocation; Lumbar facet; Spine.