C • DISLOCATIONS OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN
117
The patient, a girl, aged 20, who sustained a motor-car accident resulting in complete
flaccid paraplegia below Tn, which remained unchanged, made a very satisfactory
rehabilitation, married and is the mother of two children.
Fracture-dislocations with lateral displacement
A soldier, aged 33, was involved in a motor-car accident and sustained a severe cauda
equina lesion as a result of a fracture-dislocation of L3 vertebra. As seen in Fig. 68 the
body of the 3rd lumbar vertebra was split vertically and diagonally into two parts and
10
55
25
55
FIG. 68.
the larger part of the broken body, together with the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae,
displaced laterally. Conservative treatment resulted in firm re-union, but with some
considerable degree of scoliosis of the distal lumbar spine. The patient made a practically
complete functional recovery and returned 6 months after injury to the Army.
An even more dramatic case of fracture-dislocation with complete lateral displace
ment is shown in Fig. 69. A young girl was involved in a motor accident and sustained
a complete paraplegia. X-rays in an orthopaedic department, where the patient was first
admitted, showed a profound lateral displacement of the fractured Li vertebra, together
with the whole distal lumbar vertebral column. Attempts made to reduce the fracture-
dislocation were unsuccessful as the fractured Li vertebra was completely interlocked
with the Ti2 vertebra. During the following weeks the patient made a considerable
