A person's back is able to withstand enoughHowever, in the presence of such traumatic factors as falling from a height, a strong blow, lifting weights or reducing the density of bone tissue, serious mechanical damage can occur, which often results in a compression fracture of the spine. In some cases, such a pathological condition can provoke tumor metastases. In adults and children, such trauma is characterized by flattening or squeezing the vertebra, and also by a decrease in its height. There are several varieties of vertebral disorders: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, coccygeal and sacral. A half of elderly people who suffer from osteoporosis are diagnosed with a compression fracture of the spine of the lumbar region, which causes a decrease in growth, which leads to the formation of a hump.
Main symptoms and consequences of trauma
In most cases with a compression fracturethere is severe pain in the affected area, which may extend to the extremities. If nerve structures are involved in the pathological process, a person may feel numbness of a certain area and severe weakness. It is unacceptable to engage in self-treatment at a compression fracture, otherwise irreversible changes in the vertebrae are possible, which will lead to severe deformation, spinal cord injuries, destruction of the intervertebral disc and compression of the nerve roots. As a result, post-traumatic radiculitis, osteochondrosis and even paralysis can occur.
First Aid
When a compression fracture should causeambulance brigade. If it became necessary to move the victim, it is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of transportation in order to prevent possible displacement of the fragments and not to harm even more. First of all, you need to ensure that the patient does not move, and especially did not try to sit down or stand up. It can only be transported or transferred on a firm and level surface, ensuring that all vertebral parts are located in the same plane. For this purpose, it is recommended to turn the neck and head at the same time as the body. If you are not sure of your actions, it is better to leave the victim in the starting position before the arrival of the specialists.
Diagnosis and treatment of compression fracture
If you suspect spinal problemsit is necessary to determine the main cause of those or other symptoms. For this, radiography or MRI is performed. In order to investigate the state of the spinal cord at a particular site, myelography is performed, and in order to check the functions of the nerve roots, a neurological examination is scheduled. Treatment of the disease is a strict limitation of motor activity. The patient should not lift weights and even minimally load the back. Older people are recommended long-term bed rest, since their bone tissue healing is much slower. Compression fracture of the lumbar spine requires the use of special orthopedic corsets for rigid fixation of the spinal column. With complications of a neurological nature, surgical treatment is indicated, which involves the removal of fragments that compress the spinal cord and nerve endings.
