Citation

Collins AM, Moriarty JM, Laing AJ, Synnott K. Inj. Extra 2008; 39(2): 62-64.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.injury.2007.06.017

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Penetrating spinal injuries in the civilian population are uncommon. Gunshots account for the majority of cases, with infrequent reports of other foreign bodies as causative agents. This report describes a patient cauda equina syndrome as a result of a penetrating spinal injury by a projectile diamond bead.

While operating a jackhammer, a 39-year-old man stood approximately 100 m behind a diamond wire saw, a stone cutting device commonly used in the stone quarry industry. The diamond-studded wire snapped resulting in high-speed projection of its components including the diamond beads. One such bead impacted with the patient's lower back.

Language: en