Stabbed to the back! A C-clamp technique used to stabilize a C7 sagittal split fracture

Abstract

The management of stab wounds to the back is controversial. This case report entails a 17-year-old female that was assaulted from behind and stabbed to the lower cervical region with a knife. The patient reported mild lower limb hypoesthesia. Neuroradiological exams showed a sagittal split fracture of C7, with a contextual split lesion of the spinal cord. The patient underwent surgical intervention for the stabilization of the sagittal split fracture via the C-clamp technique and dura mater plastic. In the current literature, the use of the C-clamp technique for the stabilization of a lower cervical fracture has never been reported.