Cordectomy for post-traumatic syringomyelia

Summary We performed cordectomy, a surgical technique that is infrequently used at present, for a patient with post-traumatic syringomyelia (following complete paraplegia of both lower limbs due to dislocation fracture of the 9th thoracic vertebra), yielding a favourable result. We recommend cordectomy as a surgical technique to which spinal surgeons should give utmost consideration for patients with post-traumatic syringomyelia demonstrating progressive symptoms assumed to be attributable to the syrinx and with an anatomically transected spinal cord of the mid-to-lower thoracic vertebral level. Correspondence: Yuichi Kasai MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi Tsu-city Mie, 514-8507, Japan.