Citation

Wang J, Ye CY, Zhu MY, Yuan JD, Ten HL. West Indian Med. J. 2014; 63(4): 382-385.

Affiliation

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, No 2 Fuxue Road Lucheng Dist 325000, Wenzhou Zhajiang Province, PR China. honglingten@163.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, University of The West Indies)

DOI

10.7727/wimj.2013.260

PMID

25429487

Abstract

A 32-year old male patient was wounded by a pistol. As shown in computed tomography (CT) scanning images, there was comminuted fracture of the left mandible and the bullet was found in the left side behind the sixth cervical vertebra. After the patient was hospitalized, the debridement was done in the emergency room and the operation of open reduction and internal fixation for comminuted fracture of left mandible was performed successfully. Eighteen days later, the patient was taken to surgery for anterior cervical decompression and fusion with autogenous iliac bone grafting for the sixth cervical vertebra. Postoperative follow-up of the patient over two years indicated that the left biceps muscle strength was recovered to level 4. Gunshot wound to the face associated with injury of the low cervical spine has the possibility of survival. It is safe to treat facial wounds early in the patient's treatment course, even if the bullet remains in the cervical vertebral body and there is neurological function damage.

Language: en