Catastrophic Injuries
Spinal fractures: A debilitating injury
When a fracture takes place in the spinal column, it’s called a vertebral fracture. A vertebral fracture can occur because of a car accident, impact from a fall or from other serious accidents. Sometimes, a significant impact results in catastrophic injuries or death.
Since there is a great deal of force needed to fracture the spine, spinal fractures are often accompanied by other injuries such as torn ligaments, herniated discs and torn muscles.
The one good thing about a vertebral fracture is that it won’t necessarily impact the spinal cord. If the spinal cord is impacted, then there is a potential for nerve damage and paralysis. However, if only the bone breaks, there is a good chance of healing and recovering without a lasting impact on your body’s sensations.
There are 33 vertebrae in the human body. The full functioning of these vertebrae is necessary to keep you moving and to support your natural posture. When one is injured, the discs between the vertebrae may become compressed, leading to pain and hindering movement.
Spinal fractures have a number of symptoms you may recognize including back pain that is worse when walking or standing, trouble bending and twisting, spinal deformities and reduced height.
People who suffer from spinal fractures may require surgery or ongoing physical therapy to help them recover. Since standing causes pain, it’s likely that anyone with a fracture will need time off work or from school to recover, which is something to consider about the future if you’re looking into making a personal injury claim for your injuries.
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Free Case ReviewSource: Northwell Health, “Spine fracture,” accessed April 11, 2018
Author Matt Boulton
