Spinal Injury Flashcards
Mechanisms of Injury
1) Penetrating Injury (gunshot, knife wound etc.)2) Blunt Injury - most common, involves number of forces that occur in combination
Types of Blunt Injury
1) Forced flexion (anterior) or flexion with rotation2) Forced extension (hyperextension)3) Vertical compression (axial loading)
The most mobile regions of the spine are
Cervical and the thoracolumbar junctionAre also most common sites of injury
Types of Vertebral Fracture /(7)
SimpleCompression or WedgeCommunicated or Burst FractureTeardropDislocationSubluxationFracture Dislocation
Simple Fracture
Generally involves elements of the neural arch (spinous or transverse process)
Compression or Wedge
Anterior compression to the vertebral body
Communicated or Burst
Shattering injury to vertebral bodyLikelihood of fragments impinging on spinal cordResultant severe damage
Teardrop
Small fragment chipped away from vertebral bodyFree to lodge in the spinal canalAssociated with posterior dislocation of the vertebral bodyNeurological deficitRemoval of bone fragment if in canal
Subluxation
Partial or incomplete dislocation of one vertebral over another
Fracture Dislocation
Fracture or dislocation with ligament and cord injury
Unstable Spinal Injury
Vertebral and ligamentous structures are not able to support or protect the injured spineMoment may increase pressure on spinal cord and further neurological deficit
Stable Spinal Injury
Bony and/or ligamentous structures support the injured area sufficiently to prevent progression of the neurological deficit and prevent bony deformityIf posterior elements (ligament between neural arch and the articulating facet joints) survive the injury, it is considered stable
Stability Classification system (Column Concept)
Anterior, Middle and Posterior Columns
Anterior Column
Anterior Longitudinal ligament and anterior 2/3 vertebral body and intervertebral disc
Middle Column
Posterior Longitudinal ligament, posterior 1/3 of the intervertebral disc and posterior wall of the the vertebral body
Posterior Column
Neural arch (lamina, pedicles, and ligamentum flavum), the articular processes and facet joint capsules, the spinous processes and the interspinal ligaments
4 Major Categories of Spinal injuries
Forward flexion (anterior compression fractures)Flexion- axial compression (burst)Flexion- distraction injuries (seat belt injuries and chance fractures)Fracture-dislocation (sheer injuries that cause sagittal or coronal plane translation)
Spinal Injuries with disruption of all 3 columns
are considered to be unstable
C1 Fractures/ Atlas/ Jefferson Fractures
Axial loading through top of the headMost common cause of disruption of the ring of the C1 vertebra
C2 Fractures / Axis
Most commonly, odontoid process or posterior element damageFlexion typically the mechanismHangman’s fracture is through posterior elements, caused by forced hyper extension