Diagnosis and treatment of spinal fractures combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism and treatment principle of spinal fractures combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury. METHODS: A total of 16 patients (14 males and 2 females, aged from 18 to 50 years) with spinal fractures combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury, receiving emergency treatment and admitted to our hospital in the past 20 years, were retrospectively analyzed in this study. RESULTS: The injuries were caused by direct or indirect violence. Six cases were of fractures of cervical spine combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury, 2 of fractures of thoracic vertebra combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury, and 8 of thoracolumbar fractures combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury. Six cases received non-operative treatment, but died finally. Ten cases received spine surgical treatment, of which 4 died and 6 were improved. The total mortality rate was 62.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal fractures combined with paraplegia and diaphragm injury are one of the most severe traumas in departments of orthopaedics. Paraplegia can be found easily, but diaphragm injury is often neglected and missed. When a patient suffers from both of them, he is in danger of death. What measures should be taken to rescue the patient's life depends on the severity of the wounds.