Symptoms | Cervical spine fracture

Symptoms

In the case of a vertebral fracture, certain symptoms are to be expected. These include a local pressure pain in the fracture area, pain at rest, but especially during movement or stress. The surrounding musculature tenses up, resulting in severely restricted mobility.

Crepitations may be audible during movement (crunching). A change in head posture can be particularly noticeable in the case of a cervical spine fracture. This can be caused by the instability of the fracture or by a relieving posture.

Neurological injuries can lead to sensitive and motor deficits in the extremities or even in the trunk. Nerve pain is possible. The reflex status may be altered.

Particularly in the case of high cervical spine fractures, sections of the brain may also be injured. Vital bodily functions may be lost. Since a spinal fracture requires a high level of force to be applied, accompanying injuries are often to be expected, which in turn can be responsible for certain symptoms. Injuries to the cervical spine may be accompanied by craniocerebral trauma. The patient may be unconscious, have severe headaches or be disoriented.

Surgery for cervical spine fracture

Fractures that fall into classification B or C are usually operated on to stabilize the fracture and prevent damage to the spinal cord. If damage to the nerve tracts has already occurred, the indication for surgery is always given. Then time is of the essence to relieve the injured structures as quickly as possible.

In the cervical spine, depending on the surgical technique, various plates are usually attached to the vertebral body from the front to stabilize the cervical spine in its anatomical position.In the case of so-called compression fractures, i.e. when the vertebra has been dented, the vertebra can be straightened up again by means of plastic with bone material from the patient’s iliac crest. If the spinal cord is constricted, the vertebral arch can be opened or removed during surgery to relieve the nerve tracts (laminator coma). Afterwards, the result of the operation is fixed and immobilized with a neck tie to ensure safe healing. Depending on the extent of the injury, an intensive physiotherapeutic follow-up treatment is carried out. Fractures of the upper cervical spine are treated individually due to their deviating anatomy.