Spinal injuries. Fracture of the spine

December 18, 2012

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Fractures of the spine   in medicine deemed severe injuries of the skeleton. Relatively often a fracture of the spine combined with damage to muscles, ligaments, intervertebral discs, which are located near it. But often diagnosed as other spinal injury Due to which patients marked grave consequences.

Human spine is the backbone of the skeleton, while the main part of it. It consists of individual bones (vertebrae), connected both continuous and discontinuous connections. It is located between the vertebrae intervertebral discs, which are a kind of elastic shock absorbers at the load on the spine. The spinal column consists of five departments: cervical . thoracic . lumbar . sacral . coccygeal . Let us consider in detail especially injuries and fractures of the spine.

Reasons for spinal injuries

Spinal injuries are diagnosed relatively frequently. In the 20-35% of the damage in spinal cord injuries occur as a defeat spinal cord   human. Such injuries subsequently have a very serious impact on the health of the patient.

There are many reasons because of which may damage the spine. Typically, most of these injuries are due to the development of modern technologies. Often diagnosed by the so-called injury, "diver". In this case, spinal injury associated with jumping into the pond. The man, not knowing features of the bottom, hits the barrier at the bottom of the head. With its tilting body weight injure the spine. As a consequence, there is cervical spine injury .

Often these injuries occur in road traffic accidents. Moreover, the injured as those who are in the car and the passengers.

Spinal injuries occur when falling from a height. But the most serious spine suffers, if the person in the fall landed on his feet. In this case, a sharp impact of body weight on the spine, and can cause it to a compression fracture. Spinal injuries also occur in wounds - Nozhov, gunshot, etc..

Another type of injury - a birth trauma of the cervical spine and spinal cord, which refers to the perinatal CNS lesions. It occurs in the course of delivery In which there are big overload for the child due to the resistance of the muscles of the birth canal.

Classification

Experts classify spinal injury, guided by a number of different criteria. Assessing the localization of injury, they give off an injury cervical . thoracic . lumbar   spine, as well as sochetannye   spinal injuries, which were struck at several departments.

Injury also subdivided into those where there is damage to the spinal cord, and where there was no such damage.

Assessing the depth of the lesion, doctors isolated lesion drooping In which there is damage to the skin and underlying structures, and non-penetrating In which the skin remains intact.

Provided also are several types of spinal injuries: injuries . sprains . fractures . breaks .

Symptoms

The main clinical symptoms of spinal injuries is pain that occurs in the place of destruction and pain all over his back. Also, the symptoms of the patient neurological disorders . This damage to the spinal cord can not be, but there is swelling of the spinal injury, compressing the spinal cord or the nerves extending from it.

When spinal injuries observed dysfunction of the spinal cord, but their characteristics are directly dependent on where localized injury.

The most dangerous symptoms of the patient's life appear in the case of cervical spine injury . The victim may be disturbed breathing and heart activity, and there is a risk of cardiac arrest. Might happen paralysis body, violated function of internal organs. When lung lesions of the spine is broken calving sensitivity, reduced muscle strength. Sometimes it manifests spastic muscle tension. As a result, limited motion, and during prolonged stress changes the structure of the muscles, and this condition may be permanent.

With injuries of the thoracic spine   sensitivity and impaired mobility of the arms and chest, in some cases, suffer and legs. The victim feels pain in the spine, it periodically sends to the heart. Sometimes the pain is manifested in the breaths.

With injuries of the lumbar spine may weaken muscle strength, and sometimes occurs paraplegic. Manifested numbness, reduced reflexes, strength, spasticity may occur. Further, there are irregularities in the genitourinary system. This is manifested urinary retention, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction , Decreased sensitivity of genitals.

Trauma of the spine can occur simultaneously in several dreams. Accordingly, in that case the symptoms are mixed.

Effects

The effects of spinal injuries, as well as the duration of symptoms depends on several factors. This location and the severity of injury, involvement of the spinal cord in the process, the severity of the human condition, timely first aid and the right approach to it.

During the first weeks after the injury the patient is suffering from pain at the site of injury, as well as others, the above-described expressions. Often, this injury is practiced prolonged immobilization (complete immobilization) to fractures more fused.

However, the main consequence of spinal injuries is neurological deficit Which occurs in a patient for a long time or a lifetime. It paresis , Paralysis of limbs, disturbance of sensitivity, spasticity, the disruption of the internal organs, spinal instability, and others.

Restoration of spinal injuries box takes a long time, it is a gradual, sometimes very painful process. But with a number of effective methods (special physiotherapy, reflexology, chiropractic) lost functions can be even partially recover. It is important to turn to a specialist as soon as possible after the injury, because of this depends largely on the success of the recovery.

Spine fracture

Particularly serious injury is considered spine fracture . The main reason for the fracture of the spine in man is his fall from a height, if it falls on the head, buttocks or legs. Cervical spine fracture given often occurs in the so-called "whiplash", which happens in an accident. If a car stops suddenly, the body of a man holding a belt, and the head is applied sharply forward. With this injury, sometimes there is a fracture of the thoracic vertebrae. Also fractures of the spine can occur when squeezed and direct trauma.

Classification of fractures of the spine

Vertebral fractures are classified non-vertebral fractures in which there is no spinal cord injury, and fractures to his injury. Fractures are sometimes combined with damage to the nerve roots and intervertebral discs.

With isolated   fractures of the spine one vertebra damaged when multiple   - Fracture of two vertebrae or more of them.

Classified as stable   and unstable   fractures. If the patient is unstable fracture that damaged both the front and rear parts of the vertebra. As a result, the spine can be displaced. With stable fractures of the spine stability is maintained, as there is a fracture or a front or back of the vertebrae.

Symptoms

If the fracture has occurred spinal cord injury, a person is worried about back pain, which when moving the body becomes stronger. Sometimes there may be a smoothing contours of the back grooves or slight swelling where the damage occurred. When coughing or breathing deeply the pain increases. Sometimes fractures may irradirovat pain in the stomach. A typical symptom is pain at the fracture that occurs when light pressure on the head of the victim. However, such a method can not produce on their own.

If violated movement of the pelvic organs, or sensitive, then we are talking about spinal cord injury.

Complications

Because of the serious compression fracture of the spine in the future, the patient can be observed segmental instability at which worried the pain, degenerative changes occur.

Older people who have had a fracture of the spine, may appear "old hump" and chronic back pain.

The most serious complication - the gap and compression of roots or the spinal cord. If the break occurs only during trauma, the compression may occur later. Due to the compression of disturbed nutrition of tissues, gradually narrows the spinal canal and manifests myelopathy . This neurological disorder is eliminated only operational method.

Diagnostics

Confirm the diagnosis in the case of vertebral fracture can be, having spent X-ray study. If the doctor suspects that a patient has occurred unstable spine fracture, it is assigned a computed tomography. Damage to roots and spinal cord to determine the MRI of the spine.

Treatment

Everyone should clearly understand that the fracture of the spine - it is a serious injury, the effects of which can be felt throughout their lives. It is therefore very important to ensure the timely treatment of the disease. If first aid for fractures was provided professionally and subsequent rehabilitation therapy and performed under the constant supervision of experts, the fracture of the cervical and other parts of the spine leaving the minimum number of unpleasant consequences.

Trauma often fix the so-called patient a compression fracture of the spine . In this case the compression, and the height of the vertebral body becomes smaller. Less commonly diagnosed comminuted fractures of the vertebrae .

A compression fracture of the spine in children and young people takes place, usually as a result of serious injuries. In older people, it can be expressed as the consequences of failure to identify osteoporosis . In this case, compression fracture may occur even under the influence of its own weight of a person or other seemingly minor impacts.

Treatment compression fracture of the spine is held under strict protective regime. For this purpose, special corsets and declinators. The doctor prescribed analgesics to relieve the patient from severe pain. Often, the patient must comply with bed rest, which has been delayed for weeks. For several months the patient can not lift weights, make sharp turns and tilts the torso sitting. Yet, in some cases without surgery can not do.

An important step in the treatment and prevention of complications of this type of fracture is a therapeutic exercise. The patient performs regularly under the guidance of a specialist set of exercises aimed at strengthening the muscular system. Moreover, using such exercise can activate blood circulation, which promotes regeneration of the damaged elements. Furthermore LFK appointed as physiotherapy and massage courses.

In the treatment of fractures of the cervical spine in the case of uncomplicated fracture patient plaster put on the neck brace or collar Schantz, who need to carry up to 4 months. If there were serious injuries, the fixing conducted surgeries in which use special plates or tabs.

Comminuted fractures of the spine are diagnosed less often, but are very severe fractures. With this injury is split into several fragments vertebral body. In this case, surgical treatment.