Thoracic spine fracture can occur after some sort of trauma to your spine such as a car accident, a fall or a sports related injury. Some thoracic spine fractures can occur on their own as we age and the spine bones loose calcium.
Depending on how severe and what parts of the thoracic spine are involved the fracture can be labelled a stable or unstable thoracic spine fracture. Other names used to describe a thoracic spine fracture include chance fracture, compression fracture, or burst fracture.
Chance fracture is when the fracture goes all the way across the spine from front to back. It is sometimes related seat belt injury following a motor vehicle collision.
There are three types of thoracic spine fractures: Compression, Wedge, and Burst. Below is an image that shows each type.
SYMPTOMS OF THORACIC SPINE FRACTURE
The usual symptom of a thoracic spine fracture is back pain. Sometimes tingling and numbness in the legs, tingling and numbness along the rib cage, weakness in the legs, loss of balance ca also occur.
DIAGNOSIS OF THORACIC SPINE FRACTURES
The diagnosis of Thoracic Spine fracture is sometimes made in the emergency room after your neurosurgeon or emergency room doctors does a history and physical examination and orders a test to see if you have a thoracic spine fracture. The usual test is a CT scan of the thoracic spine. Sometimes x-rays of your thoracic spine are also obtained.
TREATMENT OF THORACIC SPINE FRACTURES
Treatment of thoracic spine fractures can be surgical or non surgical depending on the type of fracture.
Your neurosurgeon can determine which might be the best treatment option if you have a thoracic spine fracture.
NON SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR THORACIC SPINE FRACTURES
Stable thoracic spine fractures are sometimes treated with a back brace.
SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR THORACIC SPINE FRACTURES
Treatment of unstable thoracic spine fractures usually involves thoracic laminectomy and fusion. During this surgery your neurosurgeon usually removes some of the fracture to free the nerves if necessary and performs a spinal fusion across the fracture using screws and bone graft.