Unusual cause of lumbar instability in a posttraumatic patient: bilateral pedicle fractures

Abstract

A 62-year-old woman was referred to our radiology department, 3 hours after a motor vehicle accident. At our clinic, she complained of severe back pain. The physical examination of the patient showed clinical evidence of extensive lumbar trauma and revealed severe tenderness to palpation in the posterior sections of the lumbar spinal column. There were intense bruises and ecchymosis on the lumbar area. Multidetector computed tomography revealed multiple fractures of bilateral pedicles of the lumbar vertebrae in the L2–L3 levels (Figure). A transpedicular fixation procedure was suggested. The patient did not accept surgical treatment. She went to another medical center.