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Adjacent Bi-level bilateral pedicle stress fractures after instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion—a case report and review of the literature

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Abstract

Isolated bilateral pedicle stress fractures of the lumbar spine are rare events, and few cases are reported in the literature. Their occurrence is commonly related to post-operative complications of spine instrumentation but can also be associated with stress-related activities, degenerative spine conditions, trauma and other miscellaneous causes. The authors report a case of adjacent bi-level bilateral pedicle fracture that developed 5 years after an instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion. We believe that this has never been described before, and we reviewed the current literature pertaining this subject.

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Correspondence to João Pedro Jorge.

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Jorge, J.P., Carvalho, N. Adjacent Bi-level bilateral pedicle stress fractures after instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion—a case report and review of the literature. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 29, 1147–1151 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-019-02402-w

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