Peer-review started: January 2, 2015
First decision: January 20, 2015
Revised: June 28, 2015
Accepted: July 21, 2015
Article in press: July 23, 2015
Published online: January 18, 2016
Sacral fractures following posterior lumbosacral fusion are an uncommon complication. Only a few case series and case reports have been published so far. This article presents a case of totally displaced sacral fracture following posterior L4-S1 fusion in a 65-year-old patient with a 15-year history of corticosteroid use who underwent open reduction and internal fixation using iliac screws. The patient was followed for 2 years. A thorough review of the literature was conducted using the Medline database between 1994 and 2014. Immediately after the revision surgery, the patient’s pain in the buttock and left leg resolved significantly. The patient was followed for 2 years. The weakness in the left lower extremity improved gradually from 3/5 to 5/5. In conclusion, the incidence of postoperative sacral fractures could have been underestimated, because most of these fractures are not visible on a plain radiograph. Computed tomography has been proved to be able to detect most such fractures and should probably be performed routinely when patients complain of renewed buttock pain within 3 mo after lumbosacral fusion. The majority of the patients responded well to conservative treatments, and extending the fusion construct to the iliac wings using iliac screws may be needed when there is concurrent fracture displacement, sagittal imbalance, neurologic symptoms, or painful nonunion.
Core tip: Sacral fractures following posterior lumbosacral fusion are rare. This article presents a case of totally displaced sacral fracture following posterior L4-S1 fusion. Computed tomography has been proved to be able to detect most such fractures and should probably be performed routinely when patients complain of renewed buttock pain within 3 mo after lumbosacral fusion. The majority of the patients responded well to conservative treatments, and extending the fusion construct to the iliac wings using iliac screws may be needed when there is concurrent fracture displacement, sagittal imbalance, neurologic symptoms, or painful nonunion.