title: Fracture of the vertebral limbus.
abstract: An 18-year-old young man suffering from fracture of the limbus of L4 was admitted to the emergency ward after a car collision. Radiological evidence of the lesion was visible on plain film radiographs and CT scans. On surgery the posterior column was found to be intact. Treatment included a wide laminectomy, excision of the fragment, and osteosynthesis with Cotrel-Dubous-set instrumentation. The characteristics of these lesions are reviewed on the basis of the latest reports. The possibility of misreading these fractures is emphasized, especially in traumatic adult spine surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talha
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cronier
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Toulemonde
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Namour
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed