Complication of anesthesia spinal for knee surgery: cauda equina syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: The syndrome of Cauda Equina (SCE) is a rare complication of the spinal or epidural anesthesia, characterized by muscle weakness in lower extremities, loss of sensitivity, and sexual dysfunction and sphincter.

Objective: To describe a case of syndrome d e Cauda Equina as complicaci+on of spinal anesthesia for knee surgery.

Material and methods: retrospective descriptive study, clinical case presentation.

Results: The clinical caseof a 61-year-old patient undergoing right knee arthroplasty surgical intervention, low presents subarachnoidal anesthesia with bupivacaine to 0.75%. To the 72 hours after the intervention, the patient presented a picture of bilateral involvement of horsetail that involved five nerve roots (L4 to S3), with involvement sphincter. Six years later, the injury is permanent. Differential diagnostic insight catered to mechanical causes (posicion-movilizacion), anaesthetic and pre-existing pathology in bone marrowtoxicity.

Conclusion: It is evident that not performed a good anamnesis and a pre anesthesia meticulous where it already tuberculous disease, since in this case is an infectious compressive Cauda Equina syndrome by extrapulmonary tuberculosis.