Back to Search
Start Over
Long-term clinical manifestations of retained bullet fragments within the intervertebral disk space
- Source :
- Journal of spinal disorderstechniques. 17(2)
- Publication Year :
- 2004
-
Abstract
- A retrospective review of 12 patients who were victims of penetrating trauma with a bullet or bullet fragments lodged within the intervertebral disk space was conducted. The objective of the review was to evaluate the potential systemic effects of lead resorption at long-term follow-up. Literature regarding the potential for lead toxicity due to retained bullet fragments within the intervertebral disk space is lacking. Between January 1969 and June 1993, a total of 238 patients with a gunshot wound to the spine were identified. Twelve of the 238 were found to have a bullet or bullet fragments within the intervertebral disk space. All patients were fully screened for evidence of plumbism. The average age at time of gunshot injury was 35.8 years; the average time for follow-up was 7.8 years. One of the 12 patients showed clinical evidence of plumbism. The patient subsequently underwent a partial laminectomy and diskectomy with excision of the bullet fragments. The patient's complaints, specific for plumbism, resolved 2 months postoperatively. We conclude that patients with retained lead-based bullet fragments in the intervertebral disk should be educated about the rare potential for plumbism due to partial bullet fragment resorption and that long-term observation for this disorder is recommended.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Urban Population
Partial laminectomy
GUNSHOT INJURY
Risk Factors
Medicine
Humans
Diskectomy
Intervertebral Disc
Aged
Retrospective Studies
Retrospective review
business.industry
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Foreign Bodies
Surgery
Lead Poisoning
Radiography
Intervertebral disk
Clinical evidence
Female
Wounds, Gunshot
Neurology (clinical)
Gunshot wound
business
Penetrating trauma
Follow-Up Studies
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15360652
- Volume :
- 17
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of spinal disorderstechniques
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....e877875494b5b24ab48c04539efd980a