Spinal trauma and fractures

Need to know

• What are the affects of spinal fractures on daily activity? icon plus

  Spinal fractures due to trauma may be associated with other injuries which could be life threatening. In this situation you may need to be taken to an acute hospital first before coming to one of our HCA UK hospitals. This is to allow time for the other injuries to stabilise. 
  
  Fractures due to infection, cancer or osteoporosis may not present with a history of trauma. The first symptom you may notice is pain in your back which affects your daily activities. If it is due to cancer or infection you may also feel generally unwell and have pain which disturbs your sleep. 
  
  If the fracture is pressing on a nerve or the spinal cord, you may have: 

  • difficulty walking
  • weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
  • radiating pain down the arm or legs
  • bowel or bladder problems
  • paralysis

  These are neurological problems and you should go to hospital. Compression fractures from osteoporosis are similar, but you can lose height or get a hump in the spine. Cancers which spread to the bone (metastases) from other sites in the body or even when they arise from the bone itself can cause fractures.
  
  These are known as pathological fractures. Both wear down your bone density and the first symptom is bone pain.

   

• Diagnosing spinal fractures icon plus

  Your consultant will discuss your symptoms and ask if you have pain or symptoms of nerve damage. They will ask about recent trauma such as an accident and whether you have underlying health conditions such as osteoporosis or cancer.
  
  They may order spinal imaging tests. These tests show what kind of fracture you have and how severe it is and whether there is any pressure on the nerves or spinal cord. Your consultant may suggest further tests depending on the results.

• Potential treatment options icon plus

  Pathological fractures caused by osteoporosis and cancer where indicated may be treated with kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty. Both procedures are minimally invasive to reduce tissue damage, blood loss and operating times.

  
  

  • Kyphoplasty, is where a balloon is inserted into the collapsed vertebra to restore height. This creates a cavity which is filled with liquid bone cement under a little pressure to restore stability and maintain height.
  • Vertebroplasty is where liquid bone cement is injected into the collapsed vertebra under high pressure to restore height and stability.

  Depending on the nature of the fracture neither kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty may be suitable and your consultant may opt for a conventional open operation instead. This may involve the use of ‘scaffolding’ with rods and screws to stabilise your spine.

  Not all fractures require surgery and wearing a brace may be all that is required.