title: [Penetrating stab injury to the lumbar spinal cord in a child].
abstract: This article reports the case of an 8-year-old boy with a knife stab injury to the lumbar spine without neurological deficits. The computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a longitudinal penetration of the conus medullaris at the level of the first lumbar vertebra. The knife blade was extracted and primary closure was carried out on the stab wound. The immediately postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as the follow-up examinations after 1 and 6 weeks showed no evidence of compressive spinal bleeding, myelopathy or cerebrospinal fluid leakage. In addition, no secondary changes of the neurological status developed. Consequently, in cases of neurologically asymptomatic patients without concomitant injuries the surgical exploration of a stab wound does not seem to be absolutely necessary.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Unfall-, Hand-, Plastische und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Deutschland. b.scheiderer@gmx.de.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scheiderer
authors.affiliation: Klinik für diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mild
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Unfall-, Hand-, Plastische und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gebhard
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Unfall-, Hand-, Plastische und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scola
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D058106:Wound Closure Techniques; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Childhood; Lumbar spine; Neurologically asymptomatic; Spinal cord injury; Stab injury