Go-karting Accident Causing an Innocuous Dorsal Spine Injury: Lessons Learned from a Rare Case

Abstract

A young female in her late 20s presented to us with the inability to move both her lower limbs after being involved in a go-karting accident. On examination, the patient has no power in bilateral lower limbs, the sensation was decreased below D7, and the bowel bladder was involved. The perianal sensations were present and the patient had ASIA B neurology. On investigation, the computed tomography scans revealed a coronal split fracture of the D5 vertebrae without any involvement of the posterior vertebral wall or any canal compromise. There was a subtle facetal subluxation at D5–D6. A magnetic resonance imaging was performed which showed contusion of the cord at D6 vertebral level with edema and possible disruption of the posterior ligamentous complex at D5–D6 level. The patient was operated by posterior decompression with pedicle screw fixation. At the final follow-up, the patients showed neurological recovery with improvement to ASIA D neurology.