More than 150,000 Americans annually suffer from traumatic injuries to the spine.  Spinal cord injuries, pain, and deformity can result from trauma to the spinal column.  Injuries to the cervical spine account for one-third of all spinal fractures and one-half to two-thirds of all spinal cord injuries.  Of all spine injuries, 30% involve the thoracic spine and 42.5% the lumbosacral spine.  Spinal cord injury can result from spine traumas.  Injury to the spinal cord can occur at the time of the accident (i.e. primary injury), but progressive deterioration can occur later from ongoing trauma to the spinal cord or spinal instability (i.e. secondary injuries).  Early treatments can prevent the neurological deterioration from secondary injury and it can even reverse neurological injury in some cases.

Causes:

The majority of spine traumas are cause by high speed trauma.  Motor vehicle accidental and falls account for a large proportion of the spine fractures and spinal cord injury.  However, benign osteoporotic fractures can occur in elderly patients with minimal trauma.  In addition, cancer patients may development acute pathological fractures in the spine.

Symptoms:

The most common symptom for patients with spine fractures is pain.  The pain is typically exacerbated with movements and activities.  In addition, pain is elicited with local palpation.  Patients with spine cord injury can have weakness to the extremities, loss of sensation, and loss of bladder or bowel control.  These neurological symptoms can be acute, occurring at the time of the injury, or they can progressive get worse over time.

Diagnostic test:

Diagnosis of spine trauma and spinal cord injury are largely made based on clinical history and examination.  X-rays of the spine will demonstrate the majority of the fracture and the severity of the injury.  CT and MRI are often obtained as supplementary test to visualize details of the injury, including the extent of spinal cord compression and soft tissue injuries.

Treatment:

Treatment goals for spine trauma and spinal cord injury are decompression of spinal cord and nerves, and stabilization of the spinal column.   Early treatment can prevent neurological deterioration and improve patients’ functional outcome.  The most optimal management of spine trauma is through an experienced, multi-disciplinary, and well-equipped trauma service.  USC is the leading provider for traumatic injuries in all of Southern California and we provide 24-hour coverage for all traumatic injury.  The specialists at USC Neurosurgery Center have a vast amount of experience in management of spine trauma and spinal cord injury.  In addition to traditional surgical treatment options, we offer cutting-edge minimally invasive treatment for spine trauma. Our goal is to provide patients with spine trauma and spinal cord injury with the chance to achieve the most optimal functional outcomes.

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