This section of the symposium deals with different clinical situations related to the management of traumatic cervical spine cord injury (SCI) and its complications. These cases give an overview of the clinical dilemmas that test our decision-making abilities in dealing with patients with cervical SCI and its associated complications. The patients were managed in various centers across India with different infrastructures and facilities. They are managed by different experts in the field of spine surgery. This should help the reader in providing a wider perspective in the management of vertebral lesions of traumatic cervical SCI. This section also helps in understanding the newer advances in dealing with the dreaded complication of invasive long-term ventilation in a patient with cervical SCI. The spine clinic ends with comments by the authors on key takeaway points from each case scenario, and some literature supported recommendations for the management of traumatic cervical SCI.
Osteoblastoma is a benign bone tumor that accounts for 10% of all spinal tumors and mostly arises from the posterior spinal elements. Isolated vertebral body osteoblastoma is relatively rare and generally requires extensive surgery. We report a rare case of L4 vertebral body osteoblastoma, which was managed successfully by computer navigation-guided transpedicular excision. A 22-year-old female presented with progressive lower back pain for the past six months. Radiological investigation revealed a sclerotic lesion involving the anterior cortex with a prominent central nidus in the anterior part of the L4 vertebral body. Based on the lesion size, a diagnosis of benign osteoblastoma (Enneking stage 2) was made, and she underwent computer navigation-assisted intralesional excision of the lesion by the bilateral transpedicular route. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of osteoblastoma. In the immediate postoperative period, the patient was completely relieved of symptoms, and the final follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed no evidence of recurrence at the end of seven years. The intraoperative 3D navigation technology allowed a transpedicular minimal access approach to excise an osteoblastoma of the L4 vertebral body while preserving intervertebral stability and decreasing morbidity.
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