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Surgery for fracture spine In Nagpur
Surgery for fracture spine
A healthcare provider will classify the fracture in your spine based on where it is in your back and how your vertebrae are broken. They’ll also classify the fracture as stable or unstable, depending on whether your vertebrae are out of their usual alignment.
Segments of the spine
Your spine is divided into three main sections, all of which can experience a spinal fracture:
- Cervical spine fracture: Broken vertebrae in your neck.
- Thoracic spine fracture: Broken vertebrae in your upper back that runs from the bottom of your neck to the bottom of your ribs.
Lumbar spine fracture: Broken vertebrae in your lower back.
If you do experience symptoms, they will include the following:
Back pain: A sharp, intense pain in your back. Pain might also get increasingly worse over time, especially when you’re walking or moving.
Swelling or tenderness: The area around the broken vertebrae may be swollen and painful to touch.
Changes to your posture: A new slump or stoop in your spine that causes you to lean forward in ways you didn’t before.
Tingling or numbness: A tingling or numb feeling in your back that might run down your arms or legs.
Height loss: You might get noticeably shorter over time (sometimes up to 6 inches).
Incontinence: A new loss of your ability to control your bladder or bowels.
Fractured spine causes include:
Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis makes your bones lose density and strength over time. This increased fragility increases your risk for many types of fractures.
Trauma: Traumas put a lot of stress on your bones. Your spine is usually very flexible and moves with you. But, a sudden intense force like a car accident or a sports injury can exert more force than your spine can tolerate, which causes spinal fractures.
Spinal tumors: Most spinal tumors result from cancer metastasis — cancer that has spread from another area of your body to your spine.
How are spinal fractures diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will diagnose a spinal fracture with a physical exam and imaging tests. They’ll look at your back, feel for any spots that are tender or painful and identify any changes to the shape of your spine and posture. Make sure to tell them exactly where you’re hurting and when you noticed any new pain or discomfort.
If you experience trauma, the fracture might be diagnosed by providers in the emergency room. They’ll diagnose your fracture and any other injuries after you’re stabilized.
Most spinal fractures don’t require surgery. The most common treatments include:
Bracing: You might need to wear a back brace to hold your spine in alignment and help your broken vertebrae heal properly. Most people need to wear a brace for a few months. Your provider will talk to you about which type of brace you’ll need and how long you’ll need to wear it.
Physical therapy: Strengthening the muscles in your back can improve your overall strength, help reduce bone loss and reduce the risk of future spinal fractures. You might need to work with a physical therapist in person or do at-home exercises.
Treating osteoporosis: If you have osteoporosis, your provider might prescribe medicine or over-the-counter (OTC) supplements to help strengthen your bones to prevent future fractures.
If you experience trauma, providers in the emergency room will treat your injuries in the order of severity, especially if some of them are life-threatening.
Spinal fracture surgery
If the spinal fracture is in danger of damaging your spinal cord, or if your pain doesn’t improve a few months after non-surgical treatments, you might need surgery. The most common surgeries to repair fractures are vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.
Vertebroplasty: Your surgeon injects liquid cement into your fractured vertebrae to strengthen it.
Kyphoplasty: Kyphoplasty is similar to vertebroplasty, but before your surgeon injects the liquid cement into your vertebrae, they insert a tiny balloon into them. When they inflate the balloon, it pushes your bones back into their correct place and re-creates the space that was originally there before your fracture.