Conditions
and
Treatments of the
SPINE
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FRACTURE
/ TRAUMA
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Injuries to the spine and spinal cord
are common. Spine injuries include fractures and dislocations. They
may or may not be associated with spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord
injuries may be seen without spine injuries. Their causes include
falls, motor vehicle accidents, blunt trauma, gunshot wounds, stab
wounds and sports injuries. Spinal cord injuries are a significant
cause of disability in young people.*
The majority of injuries are seen in
the cervical (neck) spine followed by the thoracic (chest) spine and
the lumbar (low back) spine. Spinal cord injuries are divided into
two main types: complete and incomplete. Complete injuries are those
where there is no function below the level of the injury. About 3
percent of patients with complete injuries will show some
improvement over the first 24 hours after injury. After 24 hours
post-injury improvement is almost never seen.
Injuries to other parts of the body
are often seen in the setting of spinal cord injury. The reverse is
also common; that is to say, spinal cord injuries are often seen in
patients with other injuries (head, chest, abdomen etc.). Because of
this, it is important to treat all major trauma patients as if they
have a spine injury until proven otherwise.
*SOURCE:
Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch
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