Screw fixation without fusion for low lumbar Chance fracture accompanied by spinal epidural hematoma in patient with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

Abstract Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the sacroiliac joint and axial spine. AS may render the ankylosed spine prone to trauma and cause an increased frequency of associated epidural hematomas in spine fractures. Herein, we report a rare case of L5 chance fracture and epidural hematoma in a 27-year-old female patient with AS. She was treated surgically but without bone fusion or decompressive laminectomy due to the neurologically intact status despite significant neural compression by the spinal epidural hematoma (SEH). We believe that conservative treatment with close observation of neurological status may be effective in SEH presenting with mild neurological symptoms despite significant neural compression. It was possible to preserve motion segments by minimally invasive percutaneous screw fixation instead of conventional long-level fixation and bone fusion in low lumbar chance fractures accompanying SEH in patients with AS.