Lumbosacral nerve root avulsion

Lumbosacral nerve root avulsion is a rare clinical entity. Since the first description in 1955, only 35 cases have been reported. It is often associated with pelvic fractures and may be missed in the initial clinical examination as these patients usually present with multiple injuries. We present three such cases with clinical and radiological findings. These patients were involved in road traffic accidents. Two had fractures of the sacroiliac joint with diastasis of the symphysis pubis (Tile type C 1.2) and one had fractures of the pubic rami (Tile type B 2.1). All three had various degrees of sensory and motor deficit of the lower limbs. Lumbar myelogram shows characteristic pseudomeningoceles in the affected lumbosacral region. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provides and additional non-invasive modality to diagnose this condition. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.