The spine is the foundation of the human body. It consists of 32-34 vertebrae, which are interconnected by ligaments, cartilage and joints. It can withstand a very large load, but when certain factors appear (lifting weights, falling on ice or from a height, impacts, etc.), spinal fractures can occur. According to statistics, almost 13% of people who have suffered such an injury are disabled.
Kinds
Fracture of the spine (photo below) is divided into two types: compression and decompression. Let's consider them in more detail.
A compression fracture occurs if two forces act simultaneously on the spinal column : tension and compression. This will lead to the fact that pressure will increase on the disks and in the vertebral body, as a result of which it will become wedge-shaped.
Decompression fractures of the spine are the result of severe spinal distension. It can also lead to spinal cord injury.
Symptoms
With insignificant degrees of fractures, symptoms are practically not observed. If the injury is more pronounced, then almost immediately after its receipt the patient has the following symptoms:
- Violation of movement in the spine.
- Pain at the site of injury.
- Violation of the breath, up to its delay.
- Pain along the entire length of the spine.
- Pain in the abdomen of herpes zoster.
- Finding the head in a forced position and the inability to move it (with damage to the cervical spine).
Who is most affected by this pathology?
Most often, spinal fractures occur in people who have an insufficient amount of calcium in the blood and bones. These include mainly older people and children. Also subject to this are those who have been taking hormonal medications (especially corticosteroids) for a long time. They greatly affect the decrease in bone density.
How to treat a spinal fracture?
To get rid of this injury, it will take more than one month. As a rule, all treatment is prescribed and carried out under the supervision of a specialist. The first thing that is necessary for this is the strictest observance of bed rest and the reception of all prescribed medications.
The severity of the fracture and the condition of the patient will depend on the methods of treatment, the initial task of which is full or partial unloading of the vertebra from all loads. Basically, traction is prescribed for this.
Fractures of the spine of the initial degrees can be amenable to conservative treatment, which will consist of the following measures:
- Wearing a corset that fixes the spine along the axis.
- Physiotherapy.
- Massage.
- Taking painkillers.
- Physiotherapeutic procedures.
In more complex situations (for example, damage to the spinal cord), surgery is usually required. It can be performed using vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. In both cases, the fixation of the vertebra is carried out using a special bone cement.