Traumatic lumbar espondylolisthesis: a case report

Abstract

We present a case of traumatic espondylolisthesis L5 S1 A0 53 B3.3 ASIA B in a young patient after a high energy car accident. This entity is a rare injury that requires immediate attention. Treatment should be prompt in order to provide the best prognosis since this is an unstable and severe lesion that presents with neurological deficit in half of the patients. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have shown to be extremely valuable for the diagnosis and are mandatory for this kind of injuries. In this case it is noteworthy that the intervertebral disk was intact. It is reported that if surgery is performed 24 to 48 hours after the accident, the improvement of neurological deficit is very feasible. In this case posterolateral fusion with autologous bone graft and multiplanar transpedicular posterior instrumentation and decompression were performed 52 hours after the accident. The patient presents one year after surgery with improvement in movement and sphincter control and with radiographic evidence of a complete fusion.