Unilateral bi-portal endoscopy for unilateral L5 nerve injury due to post-traumatic epidural hematoma at T12/L1 level: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is an uncommon condition that can result in severe neurological problems and needs to be treated as soon as possible. The incidence of traumatic SEH is 0.5 %–1.7 %, but increases to 9 % in patients with rheumatic diseases. Surgical treatment options include open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. We reported a post-traumatic SEH at T12/L1 level combined with L5 nerve injury and treated by UBE technique. To our knowledge, there was no reported cases like this. CASE PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old man with left leg weakness and severe back pain after fell down while cycling. Physical examination suggested left hip abduction was 2/5 strength, left dorsiflexion of hallux dorsal extension was 0/5 strength and the left ankle dorsiflexion was 2/5 strength. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of lumbar spine showed a two-leveled hematoma extending from T12 to L1. After 1 year of surgery, the patient's symptoms had largely disappeared and he was able to perform daily activities independently. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: An epidural hematoma at the L1 level is can cause symptoms of the L5 nerve root alone, which may be due to anatomical reasons. Complete removal of the epidural hematoma is necessary to restore the function of the nerve. We report a case of successful removal of an epidural hematoma using the UBE technique with good postoperative results. CONCLUSIONS: The single nerve injury can occur with a thoracolumbar segmental hematoma, and UBE technology could be used to remove epidural hematoma.