Injuries, unfortunately, are fairly commona phenomenon in our time. And it is absolutely not surprising - the risk of injuries in the modern world is extremely high: industrial injuries, traumatic sports, road accidents, after all. And one of the most common injuries is a compression fracture of the spine. Very often people, hearing such a diagnosis, are extremely frightened. And is their panic justified? What consequences can this trauma have? This is exactly what will be discussed below. First, you need to understand what a spinal fracture is like, and how it differs from an ordinary fracture. As is known, the entire vertebral column is formed by separate vertebrae - small pits, connected by cartilages. And it is more natural, naturally, that these bones, even small ones, can be fractured along with the rest of the bones. It is the fractures of these bones that are called the compression fracture of the spine. Most often, these fractures occur either in the lumbar spine or in the lower thoracic spine. There are compression fractures of the spine due to excessive pressure on the vertebra, resulting in the body of the latter becomes wedge-shaped, and its apex is fed forward. As a result of external influence, the inner tissue of the contents of the vertebra is either extremely deformed or completely destroyed. As a rule, most often this kind of fracture of the spine occurs when jumping from height to foot, or into water, as well as in traffic accidents. However, in some other cases, compression fracture of the spine can also take place - it all depends on exactly how the vertebrae were affected during the injury. There are a number of cases in which the risk of compression fracture of the spine is much higher than that of all people. As a rule, people who have a spinal column too weak fall into the risk group, and not so much effort is needed to destroy the vertebrae as in healthy people. However, healthy people can also face this type of injury - only one vertebra is enough, which will be slightly weaker than all the others. And as a result, healthy vertebrae can withstand pressure without much difficulty, and the spine absorbs and damages the stroke or pressure, but the weakest vertebrae may be damaged. Incidentally, one can not help but mention that most often this fracture of the spine occurs in those people who suffer from a disease such as osteoporosis. A particular feature of this disease is a significant loss of bone mass, as a result of which the bone is greatly weakened, as a result of which it is unable to bear even the smallest load. As a result, a compression fracture of the spine can occur even with a banal downward slope. The statistics of doctors - traumatologists are extremely disappointing - about 45% of all women by the age of 80 have at least one compression fracture in the "arsenal." Incidentally, it is precisely these fractures of the spine that lead to the development of a hump in the elderly - a pointed kyphosis.
Symptoms of this type of vertebral fracture
Fracture of the spine has enoughspecific symptoms that are extremely difficult to confuse with any other. People should be aware of these symptoms in order to know what kind of first aid the injured person needs. So, the fracture of the spinal compression has the following symptoms:
First aid and diagnosis of vertebral fracture
In the event that a person is injured, andthe basis of his complaints is likely that he has a fracture of the spine, the main first aid will be non-interference - try not to touch the sick person until an ambulance crew arrives at the scene of the incident. In the same case, if leaving a person at the scene is dangerous for his life, and moving it is still very necessary even before the arrival of physicians, it is necessary to carefully follow the rules for carrying such victims. It is necessary to try to move the person as little as possible, and even more so to plant it - this can lead to the displacement of fragments, which makes forecasts for the patient not so favorable. It is desirable to transport a person on a firm, level surface, for example, on a door that has been removed from the hinges. After the injured person is taken to a medical facility, the doctors will conduct the necessary examination, as well as interview the sick person himself. If his state allows. Proper diagnosis is extremely important - because the pain in the spine is often caused by many other reasons. However, for successful treatment and full recovery of all the functions of the spine, it is necessary to correctly diagnose and conduct the necessary treatment. To diagnose a spinal fracture, doctors use several types of research. One of the first is an ordinary, but extremely effective neurologic examination, during which the doctor checks the basic functions of the spinal cord, peripheral nerves and nerve roots. After this, the injured person will immediately be made an X-ray study of the spine, with the help of which the doctor will identify which vertebra is damaged. If necessary, an additional computed tomography scan will be performed. The prognosis for compression fractures of the spine is very favorable - almost all affected people are almost completely rehabilitated fairly quickly. We advise you to read:
