Bicycle part lodged in spine for years

A 5.5-centimeter bicycle brake lever was removed from the spine of a 13-year-old boy in October 2026 after it had been lodged there for three years, according to the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome. The object had entered through a small wound on the left flank during a bicycle fall when the boy was around 10 years old.

Brake lever embedded without causing harm

It had embedded itself in the lumbar region, stopping at the junction between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae, where it became immobilized against a nerve root without causing damage to the nerve. The boy continued his sports activities and led a normal life without any discomfort for three years after the incident.

Symptoms led to discovery

However, he later developed pain in his right leg, followed by a more diffuse discomfort in both limbs. Neurological examinations showed no abnormalities, but an X-ray of the spine revealed a metal object lying and bent in the lumbar region, to the left of the spine. A CT scan then reconstructed the path of the object, showing that it had been surrounded by a fibrous tissue sheath, isolating it from neighboring organs.

Surgeons removed foreign object

The most surprising aspect of the case was the clinical silence for three years, with no symptoms or complications from the foreign body. The hospital stated that the object had remained undetected until the boy's leg pain prompted further investigation. The surgeons at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital performed a delicate operation to remove the brake lever, which had been stuck in the spine for three years.