Surgical management of lumbar neuropathic spinal arthropathy (Charcot joint) after traumatic thoracic paraplegia: report of two cases.

Two cases of successful surgical treatment of neuropathic spinal arthropathy (Charcot joint) are reported. Each patient was first seen several years after traumatic paraplegia. One patient had progressive kyphosis and the other had severe pain. Symptoms were relieved in both patients after interbody fusion and posterior fixation by using the lateral extracavitary approach to the spine. Both patients remain symptom free several years after the surgery. Fusion should be performed in symptomatic patients with neuropathic spinal arthropathy: this can be combined with posterior fixation in a single stage by using the lateral extra-cavitary approach.