Abstract

Introduction: Penetrating injuries to the vertebral column and the spinal cord are rare. Cauda equina injury due to glass breakage is even rarer than expected.

Case Presentation: In this study, a case of spinal column injury was reported in a 25-year-old female patient with stabbed glass in to her back, after falling back to the top on table made of glass. A piece of stabbed glass was removed and the wound was sutured at another hospital before she presented to our ED. At the time of presentation, the patient had 2 of 5 muscle strength on her right leg and hypoesthesia below the L4 level. After emergency surgical intervention, the sensory deficit and the muscle strength has completely improved, and patient was discharged after 6 days.

Conclusions: In penetrating trauma to the lumbar region, emergency physician must take into account possible spinal column injury.