Under the bruise of the spine, it is customary to understand traumatic damage, in which the integrity of the vertebrae or spinal cord is not impaired.
However, such injuries are included in the category of extremely dangerous injuries. This may be due to the formation of a large hematoma, problems with the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid or the emergence of foci of tissue necrosis.
There may also be a lesion of the nerve roots, which are responsible for important functions in the body. In accordance with ICD-10, the spinal contusion is encoded under the codes S14.0, S24.0, S34.1.
Contents of the article
- Causes and risk factors
- Locations and trauma features in different places of the back
- Neck section
- Trauma of the thoracic part
- Lumbar injure
- Contusion of the coccyx and sacrum
- What is the danger of injury?
- Characteristics of
- Diagnosis of
- First aid and trauma therapy
- Compression injury of the spine: treatment features of
- Possible complications of
- Prognosis and recovery period
Causes and risk factors
According to statistics, the most common cause of injury of the spine is traffic accidents. It is this factor that takes place in 65% of cases.
In addition, there are such reasons:
- car accident;
- jumps from height;
- diving into the water;
- fights;
- improper exercise;
- fainting, which is accompanied by a fall on the back;
- falling from stairs or from a chair;
- hit a heavy object in the spine.
Localization and trauma features in different places of the back
Depending on the location, several types of bruises of the spine are distinguished.
Neck section
A bruise of the cervical spine can lead to a violation of the anatomical location of the vertebrae. This is quite a serious damage, which requires urgent medical attention.
It is characterized by such manifestations: 
- breathing disorder;
- problems with innervation of the limbs;
- pupillary narrowing;
- pain in the neck and occiput.
Trauma of the thoracic part
The contusion of the thoracic spine is indicated by the following manifestations:
- loss of skin sensitivity under the zone of injury;
- coordination problems;
- pain in the region of the heart and thoracic vertebrae;
- problems with urination and defecation;
- violations in the sexual sphere;
- pain during breathing.
Lumbar injury of the
About the damage to this part of the spine, the following symptoms say:
- loss of sensitivity of the lower limbs;
- impaired motor activity of the legs;
- problems with tendon reflexes;
- malfunction of the pelvic organs;
- problems are of a sexual nature.
Contusion of coccyx and sacrum
With a contusion of the coccyx, this clinical picture is typical: 
- appearance of a hematoma on the skin;
- marked discomfort when pressing on the affected area;
- violation of leg mobility;
- increased pain during urination and defecation.
What is the danger of injury?
Immediately after receiving a traumatic injury, the injury must be differentiated according to the degree of severity. Even with minor symptoms, it is necessary to carry out a radiography that will prevent dangerous consequences.
These include neurological problems that may appear after a while:
- reduction in muscle tone;
- paralysis of the limbs;
- spastic manifestations;
- loss of spine sensitivity;
- pain in the spine.
Damage of soft tissues in the area of the spinal column is accompanied by a violation of the bone structure, in which there are many nerve endings.
Characteristic features of
Easy damage is rare. In this case, exclusively soft tissue is damaged and the only symptom is the appearance of a hematoma.
For severe contusions, neurological problems are characteristic.
The most typical sign of a spinal injury is the conductivity rupture of , which leads to a loss of sensitivity of the sites under the control of the damaged area.
In general, the symptoms of a spinal injury directly depend on the severity of the traumatic injury:
- The mild injury of is characterized by symptoms of partial loss of spinal cord conduction .The condition of a person can be restored in about 1-1.5 months.
- Damage to the average severity of is characterized by a violation of the functional conductivity of .The functioning of the spine can be restored in 3-4 months, but residual neurologic symptoms are sometimes preserved.
- Severe bruise differs with a complete conduction disorder of .In this case, an extended recovery period is required, with some neurological disorders not amenable to treatment.
Diagnosis of
The doctor should conduct an examination and questioning the patient, perform a palpation of the spine and prescribe additional examinations. These include:
- radiography - performed in two projections and allows to detect deformation of the spine, narrowing of its channel,
cracks and fractures; - neurological examination - allows to evaluate the sensitivity of the spine and the presence of reflexes;
- Magnetic Resonance Tomography - helps in detailed examination of the spine and reveal a violation of the integrity of blood vessels and nerves;
- computed tomography - makes it possible to detect a traumatized area and assess the condition of the spine and spinal cord.
First aid and trauma therapy
In order for the treatment to be most effective, the first aid should be provided in a timely manner:
- Immediately after damaging the affected area, it is recommended that immobilize the .This can be done by using a cervical collar or shield. It is recommended to transfer the victim to the stretcher and transport it very carefully.
- In severe injuries, there is almost always a spinal shock, and therefore it is necessary to perform anti-shock treatment .In this case, the patient's condition needs to be kept under control.
Treatment of spinal contusion is carried out with the help of such categories of medicines:
- anticoagulants - reduce the threat of the appearance of thrombi;
- angioprotectants - increase vascular stability;
- anabolic and nootropic drugs - accelerate the healing of wounds, restore protein metabolism and promote the work of the nervous system;
- antibacterial drugs - used to eliminate infectious lesions and inflammatory processes;
- sedatives, antipsychotics, antidepressants - contribute to the recovery of the psyche.
To treat bedsores, levomecol, chlorhexidine and other drugs are used.
Compression Injury of the Spine: Features of
Treatment People who have compression spinal injuries require prolonged treatment and rehabilitation. Therapy consists of the use of special corsets and pain medications.
In difficult cases, surgery may be required.
Indication for the operation can be:
- strong pain syndrome;
- vertebral instability;
- compression of the nerve roots.
Possible complications of
The complications of a spinal injury include conditions that can not be eliminated by implementing therapeutic measures:
- complete and partial paresis or paralysis;
- impotence or frigidity;
- constant violation of urination and defecation;
- curvature of the spine;
- loss of skin sensitivity;
- coma.
Forecast and duration of recovery
The timing of recovery depends on the severity of damage and the characteristics of the human body.
The spinal contusion is always accompanied by a violation of the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as a hemorrhage into the subarachnoid space.
The timing of recovery is affected by the period of edema reduction and the ability of nerve endings to recover.
Injuries of moderate severity require a fairly long treatment - the rehabilitation period may take about a year. At the same time, part of the movement is restored after 2 months after the start of therapy.
Spine injury is a serious enough damage that can lead to dangerous health effects. In order for the treatment to be as effective as possible, the victim needs to be provided with proper first aid and delivered to a medical facility as soon as possible.
The physician should then assign all necessary examinations and determine the severity of the lesion.
