Cervical spinal cord injury after thoracic spinal instrumentation: a case series.

Abstract

Retrospective case report of 2 cases. To describe 2 cases of cervical spinal cord injury/vascular insult after posterior instrumentation of thoracic/thoracolumbar scoliosis. Spinal cord injury is an uncommon but well-documented complication associated with spinal deformity surgery. The midthoracic spinal cord is most vulnerable to these presumed vascular insults. Injuries above the level of instrumentation are rare. In this report, we review the clinical histories of 2 adolescent females undergoing posterior spinal fusion with subsequent cervical spinal cord injuries. In both cases, intraoperative cervical alignment appeared neutral and all hardware appeared appropriately positioned. Spinal cord monitoring demonstrated changes in 1 patient but not in the other. With time, both patients improved clinically. Cervical spinal cord injuries may occur after distal deformity correction.