- What is a spinal fracture?
- What are the symptoms of a vertebral fracture?
- How is a vertebral fracture diagnosed?
- What are the causes and risk factors?
- What are the consequences and complications of a spinal fracture?
- How to treat a spinal fracture?
- In which cases is an operation necessary?
- Convalescence: how is rehabilitation going?
- Which sport after a vertebral fracture?
- Consolidation: what is the healing time after a vertebral fracture?
What is a spinal fracture?
There is 33 vertebrae at spine level : cervical, dorsal or thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal, which each have a particularity. At the level of the back, there are no less than five lumbar vertebrae: L1, L2, L3, L4, L5. The vertebrae of this type are quite robust. The thoracic vertebrae are 12 in number: T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10, T11, T12. They support the ribs. Finally, the cervical vertebrae, 7 in number: C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, support the head and protect the spinal cord. We speak of a fracture of the vertebral column whenat least one vertebra is crushed, cracked, or collapsed. It can be a compression fracture or a vertebral compression fracture. It can also be the displacement of bone fragments.
What are the symptoms of a vertebral fracture?
In some cases, the patient will not notice no symptoms. This is the case of a benign osteoporotic compression of the vertebrae. In other cases, the following symptoms may be observed:
- Significant pain in the back.
- A loss of stability: impossibility of carrying out the gestures of the daily newspaper, like to recover correctly without having pain.
- In the event of a dorsal fracture, breathing problems can occur.
- In more serious cases, when the spinal cord is affected, sensitivity disorders are observed; sometimes resulting in numbness or even paralysis.
How is a vertebral fracture diagnosed?
In a first phase, the doctor will ask the patient a few questions in order to determine if he is in the presence of a fracture of the vertebrae. In a second phase, to be sure of the first diagnosis through the patient’s answers, imaging examinations will be done. An X-ray examination will be performed to confirm the symptoms of a vertebral fracture. Additional examinations may be required: such as CT or CT scan, the purpose of which is to have a finer analysis of the patient’s spine. Very useful, especially if surgery is being considered. Finally, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI may also be requested, in order to verify the age of the fracture and sometimes the consolidation of certain bone compactions.
What are the causes and risk factors?
Causes of spinal fracture may have a internal or external origin. Due to the patient such as a fall or lifting an object that is too heavy, a pathology or an external element such as a traffic accident.
The risk factors are multiple:
- Sometimes age-related, older people can suffer from this type of fracture.
- Also menopause.
- Smoking, regularly drinking alcohol.
- Of the rheumatological diseases can cause this type of fracture.
- Having suffered a vertebral fracture in the past.
Ultimately, the patient history, age, lifestyle may be risk factors.
What are the consequences and complications of a spinal fracture?
The consequences can be serious in the event of complications or if the spinal cord is affected. In these cases, this can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia in the patient. In the majority of cases, although this type of fracture can quickly prove disabling, there is a change in the patient’s posture (such as a bump between the neck and the back) or a loss of stature.
How to treat a spinal fracture?
When the treatment is not surgical, the patient will take analgesics to relieve the pain. Sometimes a lumbar corset will have to be put in place. In some cases, the recourse to vertebroplasty is recommended. The goal is to reduce the pain and recover some autonomy. It consists of thespinal cement injection of the patient.
In addition, there are surgical treatments. Such as balloon kyphoplasty, the aim of which is to allow the patient to not only regain autonomy, to restore the broken bone, but also to reduce pain. Also, treatment by spinal arthrodesis is a surgical treatment that can treat certain pathologies causing degeneration of the spine.
In either case, the patient should rest to promote the healing process. To do this, he will have to stay in bed for a few days.
In which cases is an operation necessary?
In some cases, surgery is necessary toimmobilize the spine. The goal is to screw and fix the damaged spinal bones. In addition, if the patient suffers from deformation of the spine, scoliosis, or even kyphosis, in these cases resorting to surgical intervention is essential. Anyway, the surgical treatment depends on the case of the patient, the pain felt, the pathologies of the latter and the severity of the fracture.
Convalescence: how is rehabilitation going?
The objective of rehabilitation is to allow you to regain autonomy in daily life, reduce pain in your back and strengthen your muscles. When the vertebral fracture has had no serious consequences for the patient, a lumbar corset will participate in his rehabilitation, followed by treatment by the physiotherapist. Also, after surgery, seeing a physiotherapist is necessary. He will establish a program for you to follow in order to help you regain your autonomy.
Which sport after a vertebral fracture?
Playing a sport will allow you to strengthen your muscles, which is really useful after a vertebral fracture. However, if you have just had surgery or after a few days of bracing, you should not get back to sport immediately, especially so-called intense sports. The sports recommended after the consolidation of the spine are swimming (balneotherapy will also allow you to strengthen your muscles), brisk walking, cycling.
Consolidation: what is the healing time after a vertebral fracture?
Healing time is the time frame in which consolidation of the spine is achieved. It depends on the type of fracture, on the patient, in other words, on a case-by-case basis. However, in the majority of cases, average three to six months.
Sources:
- The MSD Manual
- Paris physiotherapy institute
- Medipole Avignon – Institute of Bone and Spinal Cord Surgery
- Ameli.fr
- Infosante.be
- Paris spine institute
- Medtronic
- Swiss medical journal
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