What are the most common causes of spinal cord trauma?
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Any injury can be frightening, but spinal injuries in particular are potentially devastating. Because such an injury can affect your ability to walk, move, control your bladder, breathe easily or feel pressure, heat or cold, it can drastically affect your life and livelihood. And the physical effects are just the beginning. Spinal cord damage that renders patients unable to work, play a favorite sport, hold their children or even clean up after themselves also can lead to mental and emotional despair. Show
A spinal cord injury happens when there is damage to the the spinal cord itself or to the vertebrae, ligaments or spinal column disks, that surround it. Traumatic spinal injuries typically occur when the spinal cord is cut or penetrated, or when a severe blow to the body fractures, crushes, dislocates or compresses the vertebrae. Over the days and weeks following the initial injury, patients typically experience persistent bleeding, swelling and inflammation. Also, fluid can accumulate in and around the spinal cord, causing further damage. While one may assume that the elderly and children may be most prone to spinal cord injuries because of their frailty and lack of strength, it’s actually quite the opposite. The primary sufferers of spinal damage – a full 80 percent of them – are healthy males between the ages of 15 and 30. It’s this demographic that’s most likely to engage in physically taxing and potentially dangerous activities including fighting, playing contact sports without wearing protective gear and attempting the kinds of stunts popularized by TV shows and films like the Jackass series. The six most common causes of spinal cord injuries that we see here at NJ Spine and Orthopedic are:
If you or your dependent has suffered a spinal cord injury, you’ll want the care of top-notch spine specialists. And you’ll find them at NJ Spine and Orthopedics. Our staff is comprised if highly experienced spine surgeons and neurosurgeons who specialize in minimally invasive surgical spine procedures designed to help patients recover and return to the lives they love as quickly as possible. Call 855.586.2615 to schedule a consultation. Symptoms, such as loss of sensation, loss of muscle strength, and loss of bowel, bladder, and sexual function, may be temporary or permanent. Magnetic resonance imaging (to assess injury to soft tissue, spinal cord, or ligaments) and/or computed tomography (to assess injury to bone) is the best way to identify the injury. Treatment involves immobilization of the spine, drugs to relieve symptoms, sometimes surgery, and usually rehabilitation Rehabilitation After a Spinal Injury Recovery from spinal cord injury depends on the location (level) and degree of damage. The higher the level of injury, the greater the physical impairment and need for rehabilitation. Injury... read more . The spine consists of 24 back bones (vertebrae) plus the tailbone (sacrum). The vertebrae bear most of the body's weight and thus are under a lot of pressure. Disks of cartilage between each back bone help cushion and protect the bones. The spine forms a protective canal of bone in which the spinal cord is encased. The spinal cord is a long, fragile tubelike structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down to the lower part of the spine. The spinal cord consists of nerves that carry incoming and outgoing messages between the brain and the rest of the body. (See also Spinal Cord Spinal Cord The spinal cord is a long, fragile tubelike structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spine. The spinal cord consists of bundles of nerve... read more .) Spinal injuries may affect the bones of the spine, the spinal cord, or the roots of the spinal nerves (short branches of the spinal nerves), which pass through the spaces between the vertebrae. The bundle of nerve roots that extend downward from the end of the spinal cord (cauda equina) may also be injured. Injuries of the spinal cord cause nerve damage or dysfunction in one the following ways:
Because the spinal cord is surrounded and protected by the spine, injuries of the spine or its connective tissue (such as disks and ligaments—see figure A Herniated Disk Herniated Disk A herniated disk occurs when the tough covering of a disk in the spine tears or ruptures. The soft, jelly-like interior of the disk may then bulge out (herniate) through the covering. Aging... read more
Ligaments may be loosened so much that the vertebrae move freely. These injuries are considered unstable. When vertebrae move, they can compress the spinal cord or its blood supply and damage spinal nerve roots. An unstable injury to the spine may not damage the spinal cord immediately. For example, the injury may cause spasms of muscles supporting the spine that prevent the vertebrae from moving much. However, after hours or days, muscle spasms may subside, enabling the vertebrae to move freely, which can damage the spinal cord. Almost all people with a spinal cord injury have an injury to the spine. However, sometimes children do not (see Spinal Cord Injury in Children Spinal Cord Injury in Children The spinal cord is a long, fragile tubelike structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down to the lower part of the spine. The spinal cord consists of nerves that carry... read more ). The most common cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle crashes, accounting for almost half of them. Other causes include falls, sports, work-related injuries, and violence (such as a knife or gunshot wound). Among older people, falls are the most common cause. Older people are also at higher risk of serious spinal injuries because conditions such as osteoporosis Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a condition in which a decrease in the density of bones weakens the bones, making breaks (fractures) likely. Aging, estrogen deficiency, low vitamin D or calcium intake, and... read more Symptoms of Spinal InjuriesIf the spine is injured, people usually feel pain in the affected part of the neck or back. The area over the injury may be tender to the touch, particularly if a fracture is present. If the spinal cord is injured, the nerves at and below the site of the injury malfunction, causing loss of muscle control and loss of sensation. However, children may have spinal cord injuries in which nerves malfunction only temporarily and briefly. They may have lightning-like pains that shoot down the arms or legs. Exactly what and how much function is lost in the arms and legs depends on the location of the spinal cord injury. For example, if the spinal cord is injured in the neck, the person may lose movement and sensation in both the arms and the legs, whereas an injury farther down the spinal cord may result in dysfunction in the legs only. A person can lose control of the ability to urinate or have a bowel movement and lose sexual function regardless of the location of the spinal cord injury. When nerve damage occurs, loss of muscle control or sensation may be temporary or permanent, partial or total, depending on the severity of the injury. An injury that severs the spinal cord or destroys nerve pathways in the spinal cord causes permanent paralysis, but a blunt injury that jars the spinal cord may cause temporary weakness, which can last days, weeks, or months. Sometimes swelling causes symptoms that suggest an injury more severe than it is, but the symptoms usually lessen as the swelling subsides. Partial loss of muscle control results in muscle weakness. Paralysis usually refers to complete loss. When muscles are paralyzed, they often go limp (flaccid), losing their tone. Muscle reflexes that doctors check using a reflex hammer are weak or absent. But when the spinal cord is injured, paralysis may progress weeks later to involuntary, prolonged muscle spasms (called spastic paralysis). In this case, muscle reflexes are stronger than normal. Where Is the Spinal Cord Damaged?Complications of spinal cord injuryFor people who are weak or paralyzed, movement is limited or impossible. Consequently, they are at risk of developing blood clots How Blood Clots Hemostasis is the body's way of stopping injured blood vessels from bleeding. Hemostasis includes clotting of the blood. Too little clotting can cause excessive bleeding from minor injury Too... read more , pressure sores Pressure Sores Pressure sores are areas of skin damage resulting from a lack of blood flow due to prolonged pressure. Pressure sores often result from pressure combined with pulling on the skin, friction,... read more Diagnosis of Spinal Injuries
People who have symptoms of spine injury (such as significant pain in the bones of the neck or back) and children who have even brief symptoms of possible nerve damage or pains that shoot down the arms or legs need to be evaluated in an emergency department. Injuries to the spine (affecting bones) and spinal cord are diagnosed by imaging tests.
Although MRI is best suited for assessing the spinal cord and ligaments of the spine, occasionally MRI is not possible due to implanted devices such as pacemakers. In these cases, CT myelography may be done. CT myelography is a CT scan done after doctors inject a radiopaque dye into the space around the spinal cord. CT myelography can show displaced structures that impinge on the spinal cord. Prognosis for Spinal InjuriesRecovery is more likely if paralysis is partial and if movement or sensation starts to return during the first week after the injury. If function is not regained within 6 months, loss is likely to be permanent. However, several studies have shown that recovery is possible up to one year after injury. Treatment of Spinal Injuries
People who may have a spinal cord injury should not be moved except by emergency personnel. The initial goals are to make sure people can breathe and to prevent further damage. Thus, emergency personnel take great care to keep the neck immobile when moving a person with a possible spinal cord injury. Usually, the person is strapped to a firm board and carefully padded to prevent movement. A rigid collar may be used to keep the neck from moving. When the spine is severely damaged, the vertebrae may no longer be held in place or may be broken, making the spine unstable. Thus, even slight movement of the injured person can cause the spine to shift, putting pressure on the spinal cord. Pressure on the cord increases the risk of permanent paralysis. Surgery is needed to remove blood and bone fragments if they have accumulated and are pressing on the spinal cord. If the spine is unstable, the person is immobilized until the bone and other tissues have had time to heal. Sometimes a surgeon implants steel rods to stabilize the spine so that it cannot move and cause additional injury. The best time for surgery is debated. Spinal surgery may be done by neurosurgeons or orthopedic surgeons. Drugs may be useful.
Good nursing care can help prevent complications due to bed rest Problems Due to Bed Rest Staying in bed for a long time without regular physical activity, as may occur in a hospital, can cause many problems. (See also Problems Due to Hospitalization.) A leg injury, leg surgery,... read more , such as pressure sores Pressure Sores Pressure sores are areas of skin damage resulting from a lack of blood flow due to prolonged pressure. Pressure sores often result from pressure combined with pulling on the skin, friction,... read more Experimental treatments to stimulate growth of spinal nerves are being studied. For example, a certain type of white blood cell (macrophage) can be extracted from the blood, then injected back into the injured person. The injected macrophages help speed the removal of waste products generated by the body’s reaction to the injury and secrete substances that may help the nerves regenerate. Experimental drugs can be injected into the space around the spinal cord (epidurally) or taken by mouth. Using stem cells (unspecialized cells from which other, more specialized cells can be derived) is another possibility, but this treatment requires much more study. Researchers are also investigating using various surgical techniques to relieve pressure that builds up in the sac around the spinal cord after injury. Rehabilitation Rehabilitation After a Spinal Injury Recovery from spinal cord injury depends on the location (level) and degree of damage. The higher the level of injury, the greater the physical impairment and need for rehabilitation. Injury... read more , including physical and occupational therapy, can help people recover more quickly or more completely. People usually need emotional support, and often counseling and antidepressants, because depression usually develops when injury results in disability. More InformationThe following is an English-language resource that may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of this resource.
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