Non-Traumatic Compression Fractures of the Thoracic Spine Following a Seizure - Treatment by Percutaneous Kyphoplasty

Abstract

A 26-year-old male presented with acute mid-thoracic back pain following a witnessed grand mal seizure. There was no trauma and the patient was on steroids for systemic lupus erythematosus. X-rays and CT scans of the thoracic spine revealed compression fractures at T5 and T6, with 50 % loss of vertebral height and kyphosis. He underwent percutaneous kyphoplasty of both vertebrae, with symptomatic improvement. Non-traumatic compression fractures of the thoracic spine following seizures are a rare injury. This may be related to the compressive forces exerted on the vertebral column by the contractions of the truncal muscles, during a seizure. These compression fractures are suitable for treatment by minimally invasive techniques, such as kyphoplasty.