19 Cervical Burst Fracture

Abstract

A 24-year-old unrestrained driver was involved in a motor vehicle accident that required a prolonged extrication. He was urgently transported to a level I trauma center with appropriate spinal precautions. Physical examination revealed that he had no motor function distal to his trapezius bilaterally. He also had no sensation to pinprick distal to his shoulders. He had flaccid rectal tone and no sacral sensation. The patient was unable to maintain a mean arterial pressure above 70 mm Hg without inotropic support.