Fracture of Thoracic and Lumbar Spine
Definition
A thoracic or lumbar fracture of the spine is a serious condition.
The twelve vertebrae of the thoracic spine run from the upper chest to the middle back and connect to the rib cage. The lumbar spine, located in the lower back, includes 5 vertebrae that support greater body weight. Fractures to either the thoracic spine or the lumbar spine are actually two of the most common spinal fractures. Another common fracture is a thoracolumbar junction fracture and it occurs where these two segments meet.
Types of Spinal Fractures
Doctors classify fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine based upon pattern of injury and whether there is a spinal cord injury. Classifying the fracture patterns can help to determine the proper treatment. The three major types of spine fracture patterns are flexion, extension, and rotation.
Flexion Fracture Pattern
- Compression fracture: While the front (anterior) of the vertebra breaks and loses height, the back (posterior) part of it does not. This type of fracture is usually stable and rarely associated with neurologic problems.
- Axial burst fracture: You lose height on both the front and back of the vertebra in this type of fracture, often caused by a fall from height in which you land on your feet.
Extension Fracture Pattern
- Flexion/distraction (chance) fracture: The vertebra is literally pulled apart (distraction), such as in a head-on car crash in which the upper body is thrown forward while the pelvis is stabilized by a lap seat belt.
Rotation Fracture Pattern
- Transverse process fracture: This type of fracture results from rotation or extreme sideways (lateral) bending and usually does not affect stability.
- Fracture-dislocation: This is an unstable injury involving bone and/or soft tissue in which one vertebra may move off the adjacent one (displaced).