The term “broken back” refers to a spinal fracture that is one or more of the vertebrae that make up 33 bones and protect your spine. A broken back injury can be worrisome, but it doesn’t necessarily mean damage to the spine.
A sudden fall can result in injury or fracture to your back. Traumatic injury from a car accident or other collision can also result in a spinal fracture. But other conditions, such as osteoporosis (weak or brittle bones) and tumors in the spine, can also cause vertebral fractures.
A bacterial or fungal infection of the vertebrae can weaken the bones leading to spinal fractures. Malnutrition, a weakened immune system including cancer and obesity can also increase your risk of fractures.
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Symptoms of spinal fracture?
The main symptom is severe pain in a fractured or broken back. If your back hurts when you move, this is also a sign that the vertebrae may be torn.
However, if the broken spinal cord compresses other nerves, numbness can be accompanied by pain. If the spinal cord is injured, your reflexes and muscle strength can also be affected. Nerve damage can also lead to bladder and bowel problems. There are three main patterns of spinal fractures. Each one may have its own set of symptoms. The three patterns are flexion, rotation, and extension.
turn
Your spine may begin to bend or flex forward, but some types of fractures can limit your ability to bend your spine. Examples are compression fractures and axial rupture fractures.
A compression fracture occurs when the front of a vertebra breaks off causing you to lose height, but the back of the vertebra remains intact. Symptoms include pain in the back, arms, or legs. If the spinal cord is damaged, numbness can occur in the limbs. Over time, a compression fracture can cause your height to drop slightly.
An axial bust fracture occurs when your height decreases on both the front and back side of a vertebra. The symptoms are similar to those of a compression fracture. With an axial rupture fracture, the pain may intensify when you walk.
Rotation
The outcome during a broken back injury is quite painful. However, the spine is usually unaffected which means no numbness or weakness. The stability of the spine is preserved. A transverse process fracture is rare. It is the result of a car crashing, leaning to one side or turning around suddenly.
A fracture-dislocation is caused by violent trauma, such as a car accident. This type of injury involves a fracture of the bone, in many cases, damage to the spinal cord as well as soft tissue. In addition, the affected vertebra also moves out of its position. This is called disorder.
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Extension
An extension injury refers to a strong, abnormal extension or stretching of the bones in the vertebrae. A fracture is a type of extension fracture that occurs in a car accident. The upper body is held in place by jerking, while the lower body is held in place with a seat belt around the waist. This injury can damage the ligaments in the back and the fractures can lead to muscle pain.
If there is damage to an internal organ, you can feel a lot of pain from those injuries. This may mask some of the pain radiating from your back.
Causes of spinal fracture?
Vertebral compression fractures can be caused by osteoporosis, trauma, and diseases affecting the bone (pathological fractures).
Osteoporosis-
Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which bone density is reduced, which can increase the likelihood that a person can sustain a vertebral compression fracture with little or no trauma.
Osteoporosis most commonly occurs in women who have completed menopause, but it can also occur in the elderly and in men and in people who use steroid medication for a long time such as prednisone.
the strokes
A severe injury to a vertebra to break can reduce the height in which a person steps their feet. It can also happen in a person involved in a car accident.
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pathological fracture
1-Pathological fracture is a fracture caused by pre-existing disease on the vertebrae.
Usually, this type of break is caused by cancer in the bone, which often has metastasized to other places in the body, such as the prostate, breast, or lung.
3-Pathologic fractures can also occur with other diseases, such as Paget’s disease of bone and bone infection (osteomyelitis).
What is the risk of spinal fracture?
Two groups of people are most at risk for spinal fractures:
1-People with Osteoporosis
2-People with cancer that has spread to their bones
Consult a doctor if you have been diagnosed with certain types of cancer – including multiple myeloma and lymphoma. On the other hand, sometimes the first sign of a spinal fracture is cancer.
But most spinal compression fractures are caused by osteoporosis. Some people are more likely to get the disease due to-
Race: White and Asian women are at greatest risk.
Age: Chances are higher for women over 50 and increase with age.
Weight: Thin women are at greater risk.
Treatment of spinal fractures?
As with any type of injury, the treatment of a spinal fracture depends on its severity and location. A minor fracture may heal on its own, without surgery.
If the injury occurs in the upper or lower back, you may need to wear an external back brace to help stabilize the spine.
Fractures of a neck (cervical) vertebra require a neck brace. If the neck injury requires more immobilization then there is no movement, and a “halo” may be needed. Which is worn around the head. It is held in place with pins and attached to a vest worn on the torso.
Severely torn back injuries, however, require surgery before bracing. The type of surgery depends on the type of fracture. In many cases, a surgeon will have to remove the piece of bone. These fragments can threaten the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Here are the standard surgical options for some of the most common fractures-
compression fracture
Two procedures are commonly performed if surgery is needed to repair a compressed vertebra. Vertebroplasty is a relatively new procedure that involves a catheter.
The surgeon guides the catheter to the site of the fracture. Then the catheter injects a special bone cement into the break. It helps to stabilize the bone and reduce pain, but it does not treat any deformity caused by the injury. You may have changes in posture and some limited range of motion after a vertebroplasty.
Kyphoplasty is a similar procedure. This is done through a small incision in the back. The surgeon places an inflatable balloon inside the broken bone where bone cement is used to build up the vertebra to its original height.
bust fracture
Treatment for a bust fracture involves performing an autopsy from the body. This is the surgical removal of all or part of a vertebra. The surgeon then replaces the missing bone with artificial plates or screws (known as instrumentation). This is done when there is compression on one or more vertebrae. This relieves the pressure on those bones and the spinal cord or nerves.
Spinal fusion is performed from the back. If the spinal cord is distal due to injury, the fracture can be treated. Fusion requires instrumentation involving two or more vertebrae. It helps in stabilizing the spine and reduces pain. Spinal fusion reduces flexibility and range of motion.
chance fracture
Backside spinal fusion is also suitable in the treatment of chance fractures when a back brace is insufficient.
fracture-dislocation
The first option is spinal fusion with instrumentation, as well as a realignment of the vertebrae. Frontal fusion with or without instrumentation may be appropriate if spinal fusion does not heal and does not recover.