Atraumatic Sacral Fracture in Late Pregnancy: A Case Report

• Published in: Global spine journal Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 248 - 251
• Main Authors: Giannoulis, Dionysios K., Koulouvaris, Panagiotis, Zilakou, Evgenia, Papadopoulos, Dimitrios B., Lykissas, Marios G., Mavrodontidis, Alexandros N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-06-2015; Georg Thieme Verlag KG
• Subjects: prepartum; sacral; stress fracture; pregnancy related osteoporosis
• ISSN: 2192-5682; 2192-5690
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1549429

Study Design
Case report.
Objective
Sacral fractures, traumatic or atraumatic, are a rather rare cause of low back pain. The majority of the cases of pregnancy-related sacral fractures are reported as a postpartum complication, and only few cases of sacral atraumatic fractures have been reported in the last trimester of the pregnancy. The aim of this study is to report a rare case of atraumatic sacral fracture in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Methods
We report the case of a 30-year-old Caucasian European woman during her 37th week (36 weeks and 4 days) of gestation, who complained during her scheduled obstetric examination of continuous low back pain with no associated history of trauma. The patient performed activities of daily living with a normal level of fatigue and reported no running or walking long distances. She was examined in our department, and a magnetic resonance imaging scan was performed that showed a vertical nondisplaced fracture in her left sacrum.
Results
The patient was treated conservatively, and analgesics were administrated according to the consensus of the orthopedic and the anesthesiology departments. No further complications were recognized in the remaining period of her pregnancy, and a healthy child was born by caesarean section.
Conclusions
Atraumatic fractures of the sacrum should be included in the differentiated diagnosis of pregnant patients with low back pain.