Traumatic spinal cord injury followed by cerebrospinal fluid complications

Following closed traumatic spinal injuries, complications such as spinal fluid fistula, leakage or meningitis are rarely seen. The mechanisms causing a CSF fistula, or leakage of CSF in these blunt injuries are obscure, while they are more understandable in penetrating injuries (Gentleman et al., 1984; Romanick et al., 1985; Wilson et al., 1976). The literature mentions subarachnoid-pleural or mediastinal fistulae but we did not find either fistulae or meningitis after closed injuries of the lumbar spine. We present our experience with these rare complications of penetrating and blunt traumatic injuries of the spine.