Laminectomy Decompression and Posterior Stabilization in Spinal Cord Injury American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale B due to Spondylolisthesis Grade II

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is considered a serious neurological condition since it frequently causes significant morbidity and long-term disability. Physical trauma of the spine is the leading cause of SCI. It is also associated with other spinal anomalies, such as spondylolisthesis; a condition where the upper vertebra segment slips over the underlying vertebra and causing neurological symptoms. We report a case of a 40-year-old male patient who was admitted with cervical pain and weakness of all extremities as the chief complaint. One week before admission, he fell from the tree with his neck hitting the ground first. Physical examinations showed a prominent neurological deficit. Cervical spondylolisthesis was confirmed by an imaging test. Because of this condition, he underwent surgical decompressive laminectomy and posterior stabilization. Surgical intervention is the standard therapy for traumatic SCI. The goal of surgical intervention is realigning the spinal column, restoring spinal stability, and relieving the spinal cord’s compression due to bony or ligamentous structures. Although cervical SCI due to spondylolisthesis is a rare issue, it is one of the life-threatening cases. Therefore, early diagnosis and intervention are needed to prevent further injury and improve neurological functions. This study aimed to share one example of an SCI case with appropriate treatment, which mostly had a good neurological outcome.