Fractures of the scapula associated with traumatic paralysis: a pathomechanical indicator.

In this study, 25 cases of fracture of the scapula associated with traumatic paralysis were reviewed. The vast majority of the patients were young males, victims of high-speed traffic accidents. Of the vertebral injuries in this population, 76 per cent occurred in the thoracic region, 20 per cent in the lower cervical region and only one in the lumbar region. Complete paralysis was documented in 84 per cent of the patients. The characteristics of spinal column failure are determined by the anatomical configuration and the direction and energy of the impact. Important information about the latter can be extrapolated from careful analysis of the associated fractures.