In order to understand what a compression fracture of the spine( PPC) is, you need to know about what physicians attribute to compression fractures in the general case.
These are any injuries to bones and joints that are not related to the direct impact of some force on the injured area, but there is a violation of the integrity of the shape of some bones or one bone. Injuries can occur as a result of compression or impact on the damaged area of the body weight of the victim.
So, a compression fracture can be formed due to the pressure exerted by some mass( snow, sand, clay, various building materials, concrete slabs and similar objects) or as a result of the impact of another area of the body about something or something.
For example, falling a heavy object on the head can cause damage to the skull in the upper part of the head and the base of the skull. The first trauma will be considered shock, and the second - compression, because the object did not come in direct contact with the area of injury.
Compression fracture of the spine is a fairly common phenomenon. Trauma can be obtained by falling from the height of his height and above, unsuccessful jumping from height and even with an incorrect load during sports activities.
It happens that the patients are the people who were engaged in power exercises with the load and at the same time nothing fell on them. The load itself with an unsuccessful position of the body can cause a checkpoint. Similarly, you can slip in the street and fall on the buttocks, which also sometimes becomes the source of such an injury.
Contents of the article
- Features of the development of trauma in children
- Children have their own laws
- Complaints, symptoms and manifestations
- Diagnostic criteria and methods
- Treatment and rehabilitation measures
- Consequences of injury
- How to save a child?
Features of the development of trauma in children
Baby bones are more rich in organic substances, so the skeleton of the child is more flexible and protected by traumatic influences. 
The spine also contains cartilaginous tissues that are localized in growth sites. This makes it the most adapted to the impact of a certain plan. In the case of spinal injuries in children, fractures of the spinous and transverse processes are very rare, almost never - isolated fractures of the arch. The most common are compressive wedge-shaped fractures of the vertebral bodies.
One of the main problems that is associated with children is the difficulty of diagnosing. In the medical environment, the belief that compression fracture of the spine in children is almost never found has firmly established, therefore, diagnosis and treatment often do not begin in time.
In fact, parents and children should be alarmed by stories that the child has fallen from somewhere or made somersaults and felt a sharp pain.
The positive factor is that the baby's body is growing and any damage heals much faster than in adults.
In general, the compression fracture of the spine in a child differs from that of an adult person only in that they occur very rarely in childhood. However, this does not mean that they do not occur at all.
The main way to identify the severity level, and there are three in all, is in any case the detection of a change in the size of the vertebra, or more precisely, of the height of its body. If the height has not decreased less than half, then this is the first degree, if half, then the second, and in the case of a decrease in height by more than half, then the third degree.complexity of injury.
Children have their laws
Factors that cause trauma can be divided into those that are no different from the causes of other age groups and exclusively childish.
Among the first include accidental falls, awkward movements during exercise, car accidents and similar phenomena. Of course, there may be a checkpoint and when squeezing some mass.
Children's reasons are the games and the child's desire for self-affirmation. It is very rare to meet an adult who is ready to jump off a certain height to prove to his peers his strength and courage.
Similarly, children can penetrate construction sites, in the basement of abandoned buildings, build for themselves some houses. Sometimes compression occurs as a result of the influence of the snow mass. Even many adults view snow as something safe. Meanwhile, the weight of one cubic meter of snow can reach 600 kg.
Complaints, symptoms and manifestations
Subjective sensations in this type of injury in children and adults are exactly the same. Symptoms depend on the zone that was affected by the compression fracture of the spine:
- If the vertebrae of the is damaged, the patient experiences difficulty in breathing, which may take several hours. And in this there is nothing good, because the temporary disappearance of symptoms delays the moment of treatment to the physicians. Pain occurs mainly when trying to load the spine. There may be some stiffness of movements. Unfortunately, many people formulate this as "pulled back" and take measures far from immediately.
- With fractures in the lumbar department of the , there are difficulties with movement, attempts to turn the body right or left. In some cases, the injured can not move independently.
- A fracture of the of the cervical department shows itself by changing the position of the head and the inability to look to the right or left without turning the whole body.
In all these cases, you do not need to panic. You should not try to get to the resting quarters on your own. It is necessary to call an ambulance and insist on hospitalization of the victim on stretchers and in the car.
Diagnostic criteria and methods
Give an accurate answer about whether there is a fracture possible only after a full medical examination. 
It is no accident that spondylography is isolated in a separate type of X-ray studies. Basically, doctors are trying to determine the changes in the height of the damaged vertebrae.
This decrease may have different forms, sometimes controversial and detectable with great difficulty. It is important to take into account not only the overall changes in the size of the entire vertebral body, but also its departments.
Difficulty in detecting a fracture, sometimes associated with ossification points. Usually conclusions are made on the presence of a multitude of symptoms.
Treatment and rehabilitation activities of
The general principles of treatment are timeliness of fracture detection, complex healing effect and stage-by-stage care.
Treatment of compression fracture of the spine in children has several stages. First of all, it is necessary to take measures aimed at reducing the overall burden on the spine. To do this, special tools are used:
- Glisson's loop, if the fracture occurred in the upper divisions;
- declinator and webbing if vertebrae are broken below the 14th.
In some cases, especially if more than 3 vertebrae are damaged, a certain effect can be caused by wearing a corset.
From the very beginning of the treatment process, doctors must identify the main method that will need to be applied. This is either surgical or conservative treatment.
The first is assigned when there are chips, deformities that can affect the spinal cord. Conservative treatment is aimed at stretching the spine and creating the most favorable conditions for the fusion of damaged areas.
Ultimately, the height of the vertebrae should return to normal. This process can be very lengthy, sometimes it takes about 2 years.
In this case, with conservative methods from the very beginning of treatment, from the first week, the methods of massage and exercise therapy are applied.
Usually conservative treatment implies, as tasks of the first stage - the removal of pain and finding the child only on a solid surface motionless. The second one uses electrophoresis and magnetotherapy.
During this phase, it is necessary to restore the supply of damaged areas with blood. You can use massage and exercise therapy. Just do not compare the complexes for injured children with ordinary physical education. 
All this is done under the management of specialists and sometimes even not noticeable. The child may need to move his fingers, a slight change in the position of the legs and similar actions.
Sometimes the instructor generally does not require the small patient to apply the effort and himself moves his limbs and tells how to breathe at this time.
Rehabilitation after a compression fracture of the spine involves the formation of a muscular corset. This is a bunch of muscles that surround the baby's vertebra that grows in the baby. At the same time stretching continues and various exercises are carried out.
Other methods of treatment and recovery depend on the situation, the degree of damage and other characteristics. If the child is in some kind of catastrophe and has multiple injuries, then each is treated at his own time and by his own methods.
Consequences of injury
Consequences of a fracture of the spine can be deplorable
Trauma of the spine in childhood almost never passes without a trace. Another question is what kind of consequences it will be. Compression fracture of the spine of the first degree in children is almost completely amenable to healing.
However, this does not mean that later it will not cause osteochondrosis or any similar diseases.
Therefore, parents need a maximum of patience. It is necessary to consistently go through all the stages of therapy and after the completion of treatment do not miss the recommended ways of maintaining health in proper form.
How to save a child?
Preventing any risky behavior of the child is extremely difficult. Parents can tell how long they want to jump from a height or somersault somewhere on the ground, run around in wasteland and climb trees.
A child can do this simply because of age-related psychological characteristics.
The best way to correct the behavior of babies is to create a balanced daily routine that includes all the many useful actions that the child would like, that the risk of an unforeseen coincidence of circumstances will be minimized.
