What is a flexion injury of the spine?

Flexion-distraction injuries occur due to distractive forces causing disruption of the posterior and middle spinal columns. These fractures classically consist of a fracture line through the posterior bony elements; involvement of the posterior ligamentous complex is, however, common.

What are the symptoms of cervical spine injury?

Symptoms include:

• Neck or arm pain.
• Numbness and weakness in the upper extremities hands.
• Unsteady gait when walking.
• Muscle spasms in the legs.
• Loss of coordination in arms, hands, finger.
• Loss of muscle tone in arms and/or hands.
• Dropping items or loss of dexterity of hands.

How do you suspect a cervical spine injury?

LOOK FOR THESE SYMPTOMS IN ATHLETES WHEN CERVICAL SPINE INJURIES ARE SUSPECTED:

1. Witnessing mechanism of injury.
2. Witnessing athlete who remains down or motionless after play.
3. Abnormal neurological findings.
4. Loss of motion in extremities.
5. Cervical spine pain with or without palpation.
6. Cervical spine deformity.

What is a flexion teardrop fracture?

A flexion teardrop fracture occurs when flexion of the spine, along with vertical axial compression, causes a fracture of the anteroinferior aspect of the vertebral body. This fragment is displaced anteriorly and resembles a teardrop (see the image below).

What happens in cervical spine injury?

C-1 to C-4 injury symptoms may present the following effects or limitations: Most severe of the spinal cord injury levels. Paralysis in arms, hands, trunk and legs. Potential inability to breath independently, cough or control bowel movements or bladder.

How serious is cervical spine injury?

Cervical spinal cord injuries are typically the most severe type of spinal cord injuries. They may result in quadriplegia or tetraplegia with associated loss of muscle strength in all four extremities. Based on the extent of the injury, cervical spinal cord injuries can be complete or incomplete.

What are four signs of possible head neck or spinal injuries?

Symptoms

• extreme pain in the head, neck, or back.
• weakness or inability to walk.
• trouble breathing.
• difficulty with balance and coordination.
• numbness or tingling in the extremities.
• loss of bladder or bowel control.

How do you treat a cervical spine injury?

Options include soft neck collars and various braces. Surgery. Often surgery is necessary to remove fragments of bones, foreign objects, herniated disks or fractured vertebrae that appear to be compressing the spine. Surgery might also be needed to stabilize the spine to prevent future pain or deformity.

Which area of the body would be paralyzed if the client had a cervical spine injury?

Cervical spinal cord injuries usually cause loss of function in the arms and legs, resulting in quadriplegia and spinal cord paralysis. The 12 vertebra in the chest are called the thoracic vertebra.

How long do neck injuries take to heal?

With proper treatment and rest, most patients will recover from a neck strain or sprain within four to six weeks. If the strain or sprain is severe, it can take three months or more to fully recover.

Can you have a neck fracture and not know it?

Tom Muzzonigro, an orthopedic surgeon at Butler Health Systems, said. He added that it is also possible for neck fractures to go undetected by doctors initially, even using scans and x-rays. “In that case it could have been a subtle fracture that you couldn’t have seen,” Dr. Muzzonigro said.

Is cervical spine injury serious?

Cervical spinal cord injuries are the most severe of all spinal cord injuries and may affect one or both sides of the body. The higher up in the spine that the injury occurs, the more severe the potential outcome. Some cervical spinal cord injuries are severe enough to result in death.