Introduction
Vertebrae can break in a variety of places. To put it casually, fractured vertebrae are not all the same. A vertebra consists of the vertebral body – that is the thick, roundish, and largest part of the vertebra.
The vertebral arch, which surrounds and protects the spinal cord, also connects to the back. The two transverse processes are connected to it diagonally to the rear, and the spinous process is straight to the rear. Depending on the location of the fracture, different complaints arise, different treatment methods are indicated, and the healing time varies. 1. transverse process 2. nerve 3. vertebral body 4. spinous process 5. spinal cord
Vertebral fracture at the vertebral body
The vertebral body assumes a supporting function. It ensures an upright posture and is to a certain extent a supporting stone of the spine. A fracture usually has to be treated surgically, which includes a certain healing time in addition to the surgical procedure.
The further down the vertebral body lies in the spine, the more weight it has to carry – that is why vertebrae in the lumbar region are also much more stable than the filigree cervical vertebrae. As with all other bones, a fracture is usually healed after 6-8 weeks. Osteoporosis, calcium deficiency and age have a negative influence on this value, it can also take longer.
There are several treatment methods for a fracture of the vertebral body. In addition to conservative therapy with painkillers, the vertebral body can be “injected” (with a kind of liquid concrete). Since this hardens quickly and the bone does not have to grow back together again, patients who have undergone surgery can usually move and walk around pain-free a few days after the operation.
Often the patients have to be slowed down in their actionism to prevent a new fracture. The situation is different with spondylodesis, the so-called vertebral body blockage. Here, two or more vertebral bodies are screwed together with screws and rods and stiffened.
The load is thus removed from the vertebral fracture and transferred to the metal rods. The period until complete mobility after such an operation is long and full of privation: 6-8 weeks may only be spent sitting or lying in certain positions. A corset must also be worn. Whether a surgical intervention is necessary, and what type of operation is performed, depends on the one hand on the type of vertebral fracture, but also on other circumstances. A young athlete is more inclined to undergo surgery than an old bedridden patient, who would be forced into a corset for another 2 months without much benefit.
