Maneuver-Induced Transient Vacuum Phenomena in Young Adult Male

Male, 34

Intravertebral Disc Vacuum

We present a 34 year old male elite cirque performer with a new vacuum phenomena at L5-S1 following an inciting maneuver. An initial scan immediately prior to the precipitating maneuver did not show any air in the disc, indicating it was likely caused by the patient’s maneuver which elicited an audible ‘clunk’. To our knowledge this is the first report of vacuum phenomena in the intervertebral disc of a young athlete secondary to a physical maneuver.