Spinal Fracture Care

Symptoms of a spinal fracture not caused by weakened bone, but from a trauma to the spine will have varying symptoms depending on the severity and location of the injury.

Symptoms of a traumatic spinal fracture include:

• Back or neck pain
• Numbness or tingling
• Muscle spasms
• Weakness
• Bowel / bladder changes
• Paralysis

Not all spinal fractures cause spinal cord injury and rarely is the spinal cord completely severed. In most cases of a spinal injury, paramedics should be called and take the patient to an emergency room (ER). Depending on injuries sustained the Emergency Medicine specialist who initially evaluates you will call in other specialists, such as a spine surgeon, if they believe you have a spinal fracture.

Diagnosis of Spine Fractures

The diagnosis for a spinal fracture is confirmed by physical examination and followed by imaging tests.

These tests may include:

• X-rays – X-rays can reveal vertebral (spinal column) problems, fractures or degenerative changes in the spine.
• CT scan – A CT scan may provide a better look at abnormalities seen on an X-ray using a series of cross-sectional images that can define bone, disk and other problems.
• MRI – An MRI is very helpful for looking at the spinal cord and identifying herniated disks, blood clots or other masses that may be compressing the spinal cord.

Treatment Options for Spine Fractures

Many times, spine fractures can be treated conservatively, that is, without surgery. In these cases, bracing and physical therapy are utilized to lend stability to the injured segments of the spine until the body mends the fracture.

Braces do three things:

1. Maintain spinal alignment
2. Control pain by restricting movement
3. Immobilize the spine to aid in healing

For patients with a pinched nerve or unstable spine severe, the pain caused by the spinal fracture may not improve with these conservative measures. In which case, spine surgery may be required.

Surgical Treatment of a Spinal Fracture

Surgical correction of spinal fracture typically involves decompressing nerves that are being pinched, and stabilizing a segment of the spine with screws and rods. This procedure is referred to as spinal fusion. For a severe spinal fracture, surgery consists of percutaneous vertebral augmentation, which is a surgery wherein the fractured bone is stabilized with cement or other filler in a minimally invasive fashion.

Two techniques for this surgery are: vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

• In vertebroplasty, the cement or filler is injected through a hollow needle placed into the fractured bone.
• In kyphoplasty, a balloon is first inserted and inflated to re-expand the bone before filling the space with cement or filler.

Surgery for a spine fracture is performed as an inpatient procedure in the hospital and recovery time varies depending on the complexity of the surgery.

When to go to the ER for a Spine Fracture

If you have a spinal fracture sustained by a traumatic injury, please call 911 immediately and seek emergency care. For patients admitted to the hospital with a spinal fracture or having been diagnosed by an ER, Urgent Care or Primary Care Physician, the patient can request that a Hoag Orthopedic Institute trauma surgeon or spine surgeon evaluate you in the Emergency Room or upon admission. Our surgeons have active medical staff rights at Hoag Hospital Irvine, Hoag Hospital Newport Beach and work closely with Hoag Urgent Care locations to provide top spine care to the Orange County community. Our surgeons are on-call for many Orange County hospitals.