Migration of titanium cable into spinal cord and spontaneous C2 and C3 fusion: Case report of possible causes of fatigue failure after posterior atlantoaxial fixation

Surgical tool entrapment in a young patient with recurrent lumbar spinal stenosis: a case report

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a prevalent cause of leg and back pain. In the youth, LSS is not common and mainly results from hereditary musculoskeletal disorders. Moreover, spinal fusion is a surgical approach to the treatment of LSS. Entrapment of surgical tools due to breakage is a rare yet important phenomenon in such operations. Therefore, neurological sequelae of these events need to be explored. The case was a 24-year-old male complaining of local back pain. Initially, he was diagnosed with LSS at L4 and L5. After the fusion of the vertebrae by the posterior spinal fusion (PSF) method, the patient's pain was resolved. However, the subject complained of worsening local back pain limiting his ability to do routine tasks. A few years later, radiographical evaluations indicated the possible presence of a surgical tool that could not be removed via surgery. During a third operation, the object was removed, and the patient's symptoms recovered. Immediate removal of entrapped surgical objects is necessary due to risks associated with migration and central nervous system damage. Comparing our results to other similar reports, we conclude that in cases of foreign object entrapment, neurological sequelae may be nonexistent or progressively worsen. Also, sequelae emerge either soon after the operation or emerge later. This complicates the diagnosis of such events and the decision of whether to subject the patient to additional neurosurgical operations to remove the tool. These variations may be observed due to the moving of the entrapped tool. Follow-up of neurological sequelae in spinal surgery patients is recommended.

Delayed myelopathy after remote C1-2 sublaminar wire fixation: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Atlantoaxial sublaminar wiring complications, both early and delayed, have been documented. However, delayed neurological compromise 27 years after successful fusion is a rare but possible occurrence.

OBSERVATIONS

A 76-year-old male, who had undergone C1-2 sublaminar wire fusion for atlantoaxial instability in 1995, presented with symptoms of progressive right arm weakness, falls, and incontinence of bowel and bladder over a 1-week period. Initial imaging workup revealed bowing of the C1-2 sublaminar wires resulting in cervical spinal cord compression and T2-weighted signal changes. A C1-2 laminectomy was performed to remove the wires and decompress the spinal cord with improvement in the patient's neurological status.

LESSONS

This rare case highlights the potential for delayed cervical myelopathy and cord compression from sublaminar wires, even after a successful fusion. In patients with a history of sublaminar wiring who experience new neurological deficits, it is essential to evaluate the hardware for migration.

Retained foreign needle in the thoracic spinal canal in a child: Case report

Background:

The presence of retained foreign bodies in the spinal canal has been reported in the literature. They are attributed to retained pieces of medical equipment after surgery, or, following trauma, to residual bullets, glass fragments, or knife blades. Although some retained materials do not cause any neurological deficits in the short run, others may become symptomatic months later.

Case Description:

A 2-year-old male presented with a history of intermittent fever and mild lower extremity weakness. Notably, the original infectious workup was negative. However, a noncontrast CT scan later documented a needle-shaped foreign body in the spinal canal at the T10 level. During the T10 laminectomy, a needle (i.e. from a medical syringe) was removed, the patient remained neurologically intact. The foreign body turned out to be a medical syringe needle tip.

Conclusion:

A 2-year-old male presented with fevers and mild lower extremity weakness attributed to an intraspinal needle tip found utilizing CT at the T10 level. T10 laminectomy allowed for removal of a small needle tip. This shows the importance of removing retained spinal foreign bodies to avoid further/future neurological injury, and/or the potential risks/complications of foreign body migration/sequestration.

Atlantoaxial wiring hardware failure resulting in intracranial hemorrhage and hydrocephalus: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Atlantoaxial sublaminar wiring has many known complications related to hardware failure, but intracranial hemorrhage is a rare complication.

OBSERVATIONS

A 61-year-old female patient with prior atlantoaxial sublaminar wiring for odontoid fracture nonunion experienced decreased level of consciousness due to a subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage of the posterior fossa with intraventricular extension and hydrocephalus. Rupture of the sublaminar wire with intramedullary protrusion was the cause of the hemorrhage. The patient was treated with ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus and occipital cervical fusion for spinal instability, along with removal of the broken wire and drainage of a hematoma.

LESSONS

This uncommon cause of intracranial hemorrhage highlights an additional risk of atlantoaxial sublaminar wiring compared with other atlantoaxial fusion techniques. In addition, this case suggests cervical instrumentation failure as a differential diagnosis of subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage of the posterior fossa when a history of prior instrumentation is known.

Entrapment of a metal foreign body in the cervical spinal canal during surgical procedure: A case report

RATIONALE

Retention of foreign objects in spinal canal usually results from penetrating spinal trauma or failed internal instruments. However, entrapment of a foreign body in cervical spinal canal during surgery is rare, and whether such an object may cause neurological complications remains unknown in literature.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 50-year-old man underwent C5 corpectomy and instrumentation surgery due to cervical myelopathy. During the surgery, the cutting edge of a Kerrison rongeur was broken and the metal tip was retained behind C4 vertebra.

DIAGNOSIS

Retention of foreign body in the cervical spinal canal.

INTERVENTIONS

To remove the metal object, multiple strategies were tried but all failed. As such a metal object was thought to be dangerous to the spinal cord, a remedy C4 corpectomy was performed to remove it. Accidentally, however, the metal fragment further migrated to C2/3 canal. At last, the metal fragment had to be retained in the cervical spinal canal.

OUTCOMES

At 2-year follow-up, the metal fragment remained in situ and no delayed complications occurred.

LESSONS

We reported a rare case of metal object retention in cervical spinal canal due to rongeur fatigue fractures. Under certain circumstances, retention of a small foreign object in spinal canal may not lead to neurological complications. If failed to remove an entrapped foreign body, it may be safe to leave it in the spinal canal for further observation.

Myelopathy Improvement Following Removal of Cervical Sublaminar Wiring

Posterior cervical wiring has been used by spine surgeons in fixation procedures for patients with spinal instability. It is historically considered an effective method of treating cervical instability with a low risk of complications leading to neurological deterioration. We experienced a case of delayed neurological decline associated with myelopathy, lower extremity spasticity, and associated syringomyelia secondary to instrumentation failure and resultant sublaminar wire protrusion into the cervical spinal cord. In the present case, the construct was removed and the patient underwent a durotomy repair and a posterior fusion of cervical levels 1 and 2 via screw placement under image guidance with a subsequent functional improvement back to baseline. We report this case and review the literature on the complications associated with cervical wire fusion and the methods of minimizing these risks.

A randomized controlled trial of botulinum toxin A for treating neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND

To assess the effect of botulinum toxin A (BTA) for treating neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODS

A total of 44 patients with SCI with neuropathic pain were randomly divided into the intervention group and the placebo group, each group 21 patients. The subjects in the intervention group received BTA (200 U subcutaneous injection, once daily) at the painful area, whereas those in the placebo group were administered a saline placebo. This study was conducted from December 2014 to November 2016. The primary outcome was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes were measured using the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. All outcome measurements were performed before and after 4 and 8 weeks of intervention.

RESULTS

Forty-one participants completed the study. The intervention with BTA showed greater efficacy than placebo in decreasing the VAS score after week 4 and week 8 of treatment. Significant differences in the SF-MPQ and WHOQOL-BREF were also found between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study demonstrated that BTA might decrease intractable neuropathic pain for patients with SCI.