Background context: Case report.
Purpose: To describe the case of pseudoaneurysm of the thoracoabdominal aorta caused by the severe migration of an anterior spinal device 5 years after surgery.
Study design/setting: Case report.
Methods: A 70-year-old woman was referred to us because of migrated anterior spinal devices and a pseudoaneurysm of the thoracoabdominal aorta. This patient had undergone anterior corpectomy and spinal fusion from Th12 to L2 because of delayed palsy after a burst fracture using a smooth rod Kaneda device (SRK) with bioactive ceramic (apatite-wollastonite containing glass ceramic) at a local hospital. She had persistent low back pain after the surgery.
Results: Five years after the initial surgery, the patient was referred to us because of increasing of her low back pain and the migrated SRK devices shown on plain X-ray films. An enhanced computed tomography scan taken in our hospital clearly showed a pseudoaneurysm of the thoracoabdominal aorta surrounding the SRK devices. The pseudoaneurysm was resected, the aortic defect was repaired with an artificial patch, and the migrated SRK devices were removed.
Conclusions: The pseudoaneurysm of the aorta can occur secondary to a migrated anterior spinal fixation device and can be successfully treated by revision anterior surgery with vascular repair and implant removal.