History
The course of a coccyx contusion varies from patient to patient. The time required for the coccyx bruise to heal and the length of time the patient’s everyday life is restricted by the sometimes very severe pain depends primarily on the extent of the injury and the time of diagnosis.
Diagnosis
In case of long lasting, strong pain in the area of the coccyx, a doctor should be consulted urgently.The diagnosis of a coccyx contusion usually proceeds in several steps. The most important step is the extensive doctor-patient consultation (anamnesis). During this conversation, it should be clarified at what point in time the pain on the coccyx first occurred and whether immediately before this, a greater force was applied to the buttock region.
In addition, further symptoms should be disclosed to the treating physician. Following this doctor-patient consultation, an orienting physical examination is usually performed during which the body regions bordering on the buttocks are inspected. In addition, the skin surface in the area of the coccyx is also examined for abnormalities.
In order to find the cause of the pain felt by the patient, the buttocks region must then be scanned. The treating physician usually applies pressure to several classic points on the coccyx and tries to provoke pain. If there is a coccyx contusion, pressure pain can be provoked, especially in the area of the tip of the coccyx and at the transition between the coccyx and sacrum.
Since even if a coccyx contusion is suspected, other diseases must be excluded in many cases, imaging procedures can be useful. In particular, ultrasound examination of the pelvis, computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful in this context. If the presence of a tumor cannot be completely ruled out despite previous trauma, imaging with a contrast medium can be useful.
Anatomy
The coccyx represents the lower part of the human spine. The anatomically correct name for the coccyx is “Coccyx” or “Os coccygis”. In general, it serves as a point of attachment for the various ligaments and muscles of the pelvis.
Historically, the coccyx consists of four to five individual vertebrae, which, however, in most people are fused into one structure in a bony connection (technical term: synostosis). The bony coccyx itself is regarded as a rudimentary remnant of a vertebrate tail.