Spontaneous Recovery of Penetrating Cervical Spinal Cord Injury with Physiotherapeutic Treatment: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Stab wounds to the cervical spine are less common than injuries from road accidents, sports injuries, and falls. The presence of vital, vascular, neural, respiratory, and digestive structures in the neck region mean that this kind of spinal injury is generally critical, and its management is a challenge. We report a unique case of a previously healthy 17-year-old adolescent admitted for quadriplegia secondary to a stab wound to the cervical spine at the C4C5 level. There was no surgical indication. The patient underwent physiotherapy. He showed spontaneous neurological improvement two weeks later and was able to sit on his own and to walk about three months of physical rehabilitation.

Inner and outer penetrating spinal cord injuries lead to distinct overground walking in mice

“…In addition, as the other risk of penetrating SCI, a case report suggested that wooden penetrating injury has a high risk for infection and recommended surgical removal of the wood from the spinal cord soon after injury ( Guest et al, 2023 ). In contrast, there is a report showing spontaneous neurological recovery with physiotherapeutic treatment in a patient with penetrating injury in cervical spinal cord (C4C5 level)( Dokponou et al, 2021 ). Since the thoracic spinal cord is the most commonly affected area in spinal stab wounds ( Dokponou et al, 2021 ), we applied penetrating SCI at around T10 in mice.…”

“…In contrast, there is a report showing spontaneous neurological recovery with physiotherapeutic treatment in a patient with penetrating injury in cervical spinal cord (C4C5 level)( Dokponou et al, 2021 ). Since the thoracic spinal cord is the most commonly affected area in spinal stab wounds ( Dokponou et al, 2021 ), we applied penetrating SCI at around T10 in mice. As expected, the SCI at T10 caused deficits in hindlimb movements.…”