Urinary retention due to an isolated sacral root injury caused by sacral fracture.
METHODS
A case report.


METHODS
Urodynamic laboratory in a university hospital, Chiba, Japan.


METHODS
A young woman who suffered from urinary retention following a skiing accident. A sacral X-ray (lateral view) revealed an S2-3 sacral fracture. The patient gradually regained the ability to urinate. At 3 months after the accident, she still suffered difficult urination, although her neurological findings were normal. A urodynamic study showed an acontractile detrusor and a neurogenic sphincter electromyogram (EMG), together indicative of isolated sacral nerve injury.


CONCLUSIONS
It was postulated that the S2-3 sacral fracture had led to bilateral traction of the S2-3 nerve roots, producing transient bladder paralysis (parasympathetic fibers) and incomplete sphincter paresis (somatic fibers). Sacral fracture is also of high clinical suspicion for urinary retention in frail elderly people, because it can result from simple falls.
Sakakibara
R
R
Department of Neurology, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Uchiyama
T
T
Yamaguchi
C
C
Yamamoto
T
T
Ito
T
T
Liu
Z
Z
Awa
Y
Y
Yamazaki
M
M
Hattori
T
T
D000328:Adult; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology*; D014563:Urodynamics