title: Spinal cord injury associated with thoracic osteoporotic fracture.
abstract: This report details a case of sudden neurologic deficit attributable to acute thoracic fractures associated with senile osteoporosis. A 73-yr-old female patient with a history of occasional back pain during the past 4 mos had sudden thoracic vertebral fracture with spinal cord injury. The patient, who had a benign past medical history, had not been evaluated for osteoporosis. Thoracic spine radiographs showed a compression fracture at T8. Thoracic magnetic resonance imaging exposed a compression fracture at T7-T8. She was treated operatively. She was found to have spinal cord injury with American Spinal Injury Association classification C (T7), and she had poor sitting balance. She was discharged in a wheelchair and was administered clean intermittent catheterization every 6 hrs. Six months after discharge, she ambulated with a walker and had spontaneous micturition. Vertebral fractures are a common presentation of senile osteoporosis. The risk of neurologic impairment attributable to vertebral fracture is a rare but potentially severe complication. Besides medical therapy and suitable rehabilitation programs, surgical treatment is an integral part of the management of patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
authors.affiliation: Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel Ozbudak
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Ceyda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.forename: Füsun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Köseoğlu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D014563:Urodynamics