Blunt aortic injury secondary to fragmented tenth thoracic vertebral body.

We present a case of blunt traumatic aortic laceration following a motor vehicle crash. The aortic laceration was 4.5 cm above the coeliac axis and occurred because of an unstable tenth thoracic vertebral body. Open surgery was considered high risk, whereas an endovascular approach with an endoprosthesis placed at the exact anatomic location of the laceration was advocated.