Indian Journal of Neurotrauma 2015; 12(02): 149-151
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1569472
Case Report
Neurotrauma Society of India

Penetrating Stab Injury to the Thoracic Spinal Cord: A Case Report

Sushil Kumar
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Radiology, St. Stephens Hospital, Tis Hazari, Delhi, India
,
Ravi Tiwary
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Radiology, St. Stephens Hospital, Tis Hazari, Delhi, India
,
Ashish Desai
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Radiology, St. Stephens Hospital, Tis Hazari, Delhi, India
,
Amit Garg
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Radiology, St. Stephens Hospital, Tis Hazari, Delhi, India
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

29 April 2015

15 October 2015

Publication Date:
17 December 2015 (online)

Abstract

Stab injuries to the spinal cord due to knife are rare. Usually the knife slips into the interlaminar space to injure the cord incompletely. We report a 24-year-old man who was stabbed by robber in the thoracic region. He presented with the Brown-Séquard plus syndrome. Knife penetrated the lamina, driving the bony chip into extradural space injuring the dura and cord. The patient was subjected to laminectomy and duraplasty with fascial graft. He showed good improvement and has joined his occupation.

 
  • References

  • 1 Peacock WJ, Shrosbree RD, Key AG. A review of 450 stabwounds of the spinal cord. S Afr Med J 1977; 51 (26) 961-964
  • 2 Li X, Curry EJ, Blais M, Ma R, Sungarian AS. Intraspinal penetrating stab injury to the middle thoracic spinal cord with no neurologic deficit. Orthopedics 2012; 35 (5) e770-e773
  • 3 Shahlaie K, Chang DJ, Anderson JT. Nonmissile penetrating spinal injury. Case report and review of the literature. J Neurosurg Spine 2006; 4 (5) 400-408
  • 4 Doğan S, Kocaeli H, Taşkapilioğlu MO, Bekar A. Stab injury of the thoracic spinal cord: case report. Turk Neurosurg 2008; 18 (3) 298-301
  • 5 O'Neill S, McKinstry CS, Maguire SM. Unusual stab injury of the spinal cord. Spinal Cord 2004; 42 (7) 429-430
  • 6 McKinley W, Santos K, Meade M, Brooke K. Incidence and outcomes of spinal cord injury clinical syndromes. J Spinal Cord Med 2007; 30 (3) 215-224
  • 7 Gulamhuseinwala N, Terris J. Evolving presentation of spinal canal penetrating injury. Injury 2004; 35 (9) 948-949
  • 8 Kulkarni AV, Bhandari M, Stiver S, Reddy K. Delayed presentation of spinal stab wound: case report and review of the literature. J Emerg Med 2000; 18 (2) 209-213
  • 9 Velmahos GC, Degiannis E, Hart K, Souter I, Saadia R. Changing profiles in spinal cord injuries and risk factors influencing recovery after penetrating injuries. J Trauma 1995; 38 (3) 334-337
  • 10 Tewari MK, Gifti DS, Singh P , et al. Diagnosis and prognostication of adult spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality using magnetic resonance imaging: analysis of 40 patients. Surg Neurol 2005; 63 (3) 204-209 , discussion 209