I recently operated on a 26 year old male who presented suffering from a gradual deterioration of neck pain and bilateral arm pain, weakness, and altered sensation after a diving accident he suffered at a water park four weeks earlier.
The diagnosis was of a delayed presentation of a complex neck fracture (bilateral cervical fracture / dislocation with neurologic deterioration), as shown in the image, left.
This was treated surgically to restore spinal alignment and space for nerves.
The surgery involved separate posterior (back of neck) and anterior (front of neck) approaches to reduce the dislocation and fix the fracture with rods, screws, local pelvic bone graft and a plate, as shown in the second image, left below.
The patient has recovered fully from the surgery with resolution of neck pain and the arm symptoms.
He will be able to return to all activities he enjoys though I have recommended against a return to contact sports.
(A recently well documented similar injury was suffered by a NRL player.)
Leave a Reply