Exam 2- SCI part 1 Flashcards
what are the 5 leading causes of SCI
- MVA
- falls; mostly in elderly
- GSW/ stabbing/ acts of violence
- other
- sports
other non-traumatic etiologies
- ~Infection
- ~Autoimmune
- ~Cancer/ tumor
- ~Stenosis (the spondy ies)
- ~Cyst
- ~Stroke; embolic or thrombus
- ~Laxity of ligaments in the joints (Downs syndromes have lax joints- don’t do gymnastics)
stereotypical SCI pt
- ~18-27
- ~male
- ~white
*average age is going up because more falls from the elderly
Details on Quads
~cervical region injured
~will affect UE and LE
Details on Paras
~thoracic, lumbar, or sacral region injuried
~will normally have full UE ability and not LE
cervical SCI injury causes
- ~hyperextension
- ~hyper flexion
- ~axial loading
- ~rotation
- ~side bending
cervical SCI: hyperextension
- ~Will affect ALL (rupture), PLL(disruption), distraction of vertebra, SC will get stretched, vertebra may be fractured and go into the SC
- ~Person who falls and catches chin on something as they fall
cervical SCI: hyper flexion
- ~Will affect posterior structures; tear drop fracture- off the anterior vertebra body
- ~Whip lash; football (leading with head)
cervical SCI: axial loading
- ~Pressure straight down
- ~have loaded vertebra that will cause the vertebra to burst- lots of pieces; a bone fragment can get to the SC
cervical SCI: rotation
- ~Facets can break
- ~Usually on one side; can cause brown sequard- injures one side of the SC
What is different about cervical (compared to thoracic)
- ~More mobility
- ~Thoracic is protected by more muscles and ribs
- ~Will take more to cause damage (a lot more!) in the thoracic
Thoracic SCI injuries
- ~GSW and stabbing is the most common (Associated with Brown Sequard)
- ~MVA
- ~Compression fracture
What levels of the thoracic are injured the most often?
T12, L1 is where most of the injuries occur
compression fractures of the thoracic
- ~Little old ladies
- ~Falling/ plopping- sitting to fast
- ~They are curved over (causing the vertebra the be shaped more wedged)
- ~boobs cause the lades to curve over more
MVA of the thoracic
- ~Seat belt could cause a SCI instead of the pt dying in a major MVA
- ~When the force of the accident causes the vertebra to move completely forward
- ~Where there is more of a slope/ more movement
Lumbar SCI injuries
- ~Falls/ compression
- ~MVA (Seat belts)
**same that happens in Thoracic spine happens in lumbar spine
What surgical fixation do you use for a compression fraction
- ~ORIF- open reduction internal fixation
- ~to help fuse the spine together when the pt has major displacement of the spine
What surgical fixation do you use for a burst fracture
repair with a cage with crushed bone