Delayed aortic rupture caused by an implanted anterior spinal device. Case report.

The authors describe a case of delayed aortic rupture following the application of a smooth-rod Kaneda (SRK) instrument. This is a rare but critical complication of anterior spinal fusion in which instrumentation is placed, and the authors wish to draw attention to the possible complications arising from such surgery. A few cases of this complication were reported in 1986. No reports have been published since then; perhaps because techniques and implant design have improved. In this case, a 53-year-old man suffered a T-11 fracture and related paraparesis, and he underwent decompression and anterior fusion in which an iliac bone graft was placed using an SRK device. Although his neurological deficit resolved postoperatively, nonunion of the grafted bone caused progressive kyphosis of the thoracolumbar spine. Twenty months after surgery, he complained of progressive gastrointestinal symptoms, and a delayed aortic rupture with a pseudoaneurysm was found surrounding the implant. The aortic pseudoaneurysm was replaced with an artificial vessel, and the SRK device was removed immediately. Delayed aortic rupture associated with anterior instrumentation is extremely rare but can occur. Even if the design of the implants can be improved, the placement of implants near the aorta and subsequent changes in the close anatomical relationship between the aorta and the implant eventually may result in this life-threatening complication. Careful follow-up examination and early removal of the implant, if necessary, are important.