ASYMPTOMATIC GROTESQUE DEFORMITIES OF THE CERVICAL-SPINE - AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD IN RAILWAY PORTERS

Study Design. A case report. Objective, To illustrate an extremely rar e occurrence of chronic, occupational, low-grade trauma leading to asy mptomatic grotesque cervical spine deformities in railroad station por ters. Summary of Background Data, Occupational trauma causing spinal d eformities has been described in relation to thoracic and lumbar spine s in miners. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported cas e of asymptomatic cervical spinal deformity in railway porters as a re sult of chronic occupational trauma. Methods. A magnetic resonance ima ging study was performed on both patients. Results. The magnetic reson ance images showed advanced degenerative changes in the cervical spine causing obvious deformities, along with apparently normal cord signal intensity. Conclusions. Chronic, occupational, low-grade trauma of th e cervical vertebral region is extremely unusual in industrialized cou ntries, Nevertheless, in view of the increasing mobility of people in general and of the labor force in particular, this complication of an occupational exposure deserves attention as an unusual Cause of cervic al spinal deformity.