Paraplegia following trauma in a patient with kyphosis.

The reported incidence of paraplegia following acute spinal trauma in patients with kyphosis is very low. One such case is presented here and discussed. Although deterioration of spinal cord function in patients with kyphosis who have not sustained trauma is treated by surgical decompression and stabilization of the spine, a more conservative approach may be beneficial in those patients with a history of trauma. Thus, the treatment appears to follow that now recommended for acute spinal injuries in patients with a premorbidly normal spine.