PMID: 3748287May 1, 1986Paper

Spinal cord injury by a broken acupuncture needle--a case report

No shinkei geka. Neurological surgery
N MaruokaS Wakisaka

Abstract

Acupuncture has been widely performed for the treatment of many different disorders in Japan. Several complications of acupuncture such as pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, serum hepatitis have been reported. Accidentally broken needle is also one of the causes of complications of acupuncture. Usually it produces little problem, but may cause spinal cord injury, as presented by this report. The patient was a 49-year-old man who received an acupuncture procedure in his left nuchal region for shoulder pain. During acupuncture the needle was accidentally broken. The needle was tried to be removed by a surgeon on the same day but it could not be found. He was seen at our hospital with no neurological deficit 3 month later. Plain X-ray films and CT scan revealed a 4 cm long needle between C2 and C3 vertebrae penetrating into the cord. The needle was removed to prevent the possible neurological deficit which might be produced by the moving needle. The operative procedure was done under operating microscope with the aids of X-ray monitoring and injected dye. The direction to reach the tail of the broken needle is most important for avoiding further spinal cord injury during procedure. The post-operative course of the patient was uneven...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.