Very early Charcot spinal arthropathy associated with forward bending after spinal cord injury: a case report

Charcot spinal arthropathy (CSA) is a rare condition that can occur after a spinal cord injury (SCI). It involves the progressive breakdown of cartilage and bone in the spine due to loss of sensation. This case report describes a patient who developed CSA unusually quickly after a spinal cord injury. This is significant because CSA is generally considered a late complication of SCI. The patient's attempts to improve his spinal flexibility through unsupervised stretching may have contributed to the development of CSA. This association has not been previously described.

• 1
  The patient developed CSA within 1 year and 2 months of the initial spinal cord injury, which is significantly earlier than typically reported in the literature.
• 2
  The case suggests a potential association between unsupervised forward flexion exercises and the development of CSA in a patient with a fused spine.
• 3
  Clinical features such as increased spinal mobility, loss of spasticity, spinal swelling, and changes in bladder function should raise suspicion for CSA, regardless of the time elapsed since the SCI.