Introduction
Kummell disease (KD) is a rare cause of vertebral fracture due to osteonecrosis. The natural history of the disease is characterized by a previous minor trauma, a subclinical window period, and then a symptomatic period presenting with disabling pain, kyphosis, or neurologic deficit.
Importance
As an important but rare cause of non-discogenic cauda equina syndrome.
Case presentation
Here, we report on a wheelchair-bound 28-years-old bodybuilder man with KD who presented with progressive paresthesia and weakness of both legs (impending cauda equina syndrome) due to L5 involvement. He had a past medical history of arbitrary use of licensed and unlicensed drugs in the fitness field. The patient underwent posterior decompression, spinopelvic stabilization, and fusion. Postoperative rehabilitation was satisfactory and after six months, the leg muscle strength returned to normal and the patient's back pain disappeared.
Conclusion
KD should be considered as a rare differential diagnosis when dealing with any patient with a vertebral fracture associated with a history of minor trauma and an asymptomatic window period.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.