Stab injury to the spine with retained knife blade and aortic injury: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Nonmissile penetrating spine injuries are relatively common in developing countries. Associated injuries are most commonly pneumothoraxes or bowel injuries and rarely vascular injuries. Penetrating aortic injuries are life-threatening and require prompt workup and management. A 51-year-old male patient presented after being stabbed in the back with a blade lodged at vertebral body T10/T1l. The blade tip was in the lumen of the descending thoracic aorta. This patient was successfully managed with thoracotomy and aortic repair, followed by the removal of the blade via an open laminectomy. The patient remained neurologically intact with no complicating features. Patients with penetrating spine injuries and retained blades need adequate workup to exclude other injuries prior to the removal of the blade. A multidisciplinary approach is important in the management of these patients to prevent devastating outcomes.

Keywords

• case reports
• spine
• stab
• thoracic aorta
• wounds