• Donghwi Park.
• aDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Daegu Fatima Hospital bDepartment of Pharmacology, Kyungpook National University, School of medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Nov 1; 96 (46): e8728.

RationaleCervical nerve root injury is one of the complications of traumatic cervical spine fracture. Although one of the most effective treatments to reduce inflammation in nerve root injuries is the use of corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids and NSAIDs can inhibit bone healing. So, when nerve injury accompanies bone fractures, corticosteroids and NSAIDs have limitations as therapeutic agents. However, polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) may be useful in the treatment of neuropathy or musculoskeletal pain patients with contraindication of the use of corticosteroids because of its anti-inflammatory effect, as revealed in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no report of treatment of traumatic nerve root injury due to an articular process fracture with an ultrasound-guided cervical nerve root block (NRB) using PDRN.Patients ConcernsA 54-year-old female patient with motor weakness of the left upper extremity and tingling sensation in the left neck and shoulder. DIAGNOSES:: traumatic C5 nerve root injury due to a fracture of the left articular process in the C4 spine.InterventionUltrasound-guided C5 NRB using PDRN.OutcomesHer motor weakness and sensory symptoms of the left upper extremity were significantly improved after treatment using an ultrasound-guided C5 NRB using PDRN.LessonsAlthough it is impossible to draw a conclusion from a single case report, we suggest the ultrasound-guided NRB using PDRN could be a useful treatment for alleviating motor weakness and neuropathic pain caused by traumatic spinal nerve root injury in situations where corticosteroids cannot be used.

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