Traumatic pneumomyelography. A marker of spinal column injury in the face of innocuous spine fractures: two case reports.

STUDY DESIGN

A report of two cases of spinal column injury.

OBJECT

To document the presence of air within the spinal canal following spinal fractures.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Only two previous cases of air in the spinal canal have been reported in the English literature. This report emphasizes that even with innocuous-appearing fractures of the thoracic spine, a similar phenomenon can occur.

METHODS

The author reports on the medical records and radiographic investigations related to these two cases.

RESULTS

Air within the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine was identified in what appeared to be minor spinal fractures of the thoracic spine.

CONCLUSIONS

In cases of relatively undisplaced fractures of the thoracic spine associated with air in the spinal canal, one should be alert to the possibility of more unstable injuries that may have undergone significant displacement at the time of the fracture.