Ultra-Early Cord Decompression in the Emergency Setting and its Impact on Outcome

Abstract

Background Traumatic cervical are injuries are very common due to high motility of cervical spine and its vulnerability to traumatic injuries. Optimal time for stabilizing the patients with traumatic spinal fractures remains controversial. It is almost due to different outcomes in various studies and the lack of consensus about it. Here we explain an ultra–early cord decompression that led to complete recovery of a patient with severe cervical cord injury. Case Presentation The patient was a 27-year-old gymnast woman with a recent history of spinal cord injury caused by high jumping with head back and neck hyperextension presented within 2-hours of trauma. As a critical case and lack of advanced radiologic equipment, only cervical spinal radiographs were used for decision-making within the first 3 hours of injury to save the patient’s cord function by surgical decompression. Conclusion Many studies have proposed different intervention times for achieving the optimal result; however, we present an ultra-early surgery (within 3-hours of injury), conducted in a context of limited medical facilities. This case revealed an excellent result after 12-months follow-up.