fractured vertebrae

[stayhigh]

I posted a couple weeks ago about this - i was wakeboarding and took a huge endo, hyperextended my back (bent the wrong way). anyways, i got an xray last night and they told me that id fractured one of my vertebrae. they said to get follow up treatment at the spine center, but most likely they wont be able to do anything for me. Im going to be paying off the xray visit for a while and want to know how necessary it is to get a follow up. The doc also said it looked as if it had started healing itself. Anyone have any experience with a similar injury? spank you, nick

[igBand]

In high school I pulled a super stupid move diving into a very shallow pool. The resulting injury was a "compression fracture" in one of my vertebrae. At first, I was told all was A.O.K. It wasn't until several weeks later that I was told that a radiologist going over the x-rays noticed the fracture.
They immediately referred me to a neurologist at a spine center. Long story short: All was fine, but I was told I couldn't do any high impact sports, in particular football, for a year. No big deal...playing football scared the shit out of me, so no skin off my back at the time.
However, they told me I was so close to being permanently injured and was one lucky bastard.
Point of the story is that the spine/vetrebrae ain't nothing to mess with. Definitely follow your doctors orders and have yourself completely checked out by the spine expert. Personally, I'd rather have bill collectors hunting me down looking for medical payments than find out too late that something was really wrong.

[basom]

mildbill broke his back a few years ago. he might be able to give some good advise. which vertebre is fucked? that might help the internet doctors out.

[peterslovo]

I posted a couple weeks ago about this - i was wakeboarding and took a huge endo, hyperextended my back (bent the wrong way). anyways, i got an xray last night and they told me that id fractured one of my vertebrae. they said to get follow up treatment at the spine center, but most likely they wont be able to do anything for me. Im going to be paying off the xray visit for a while and want to know how necessary it is to get a follow up. The doc also said it looked as if it had started healing itself. Anyone have any experience with a similar injury? spank you, nick

Sucks...I can relate.

In 2002 I suffered a compression fracture of T5, with end plate disruption in T5-T7 and several cervical vertabrae as well, as a result of a mtb crash. Without knowing which vertebra you cracked it is tough to tell you anything, but I'll go by my personal experience.

Key questions to address with your doc:

1) do you have numbness or tingling in your hands?
2) any numbness or pain in your legs?
3) do you have numbness in the area where you did it?

If you answer yes, I'd talk to your doc about an MRI. Very commonly you will damage the disc(s) or break the end plates - small plates between your discs - with an injury such as that. An MRI can help diagnose that if you are having subsequent problems.

Otherwise, yes, just rest and strengthen the muscles in the back and core are all you can do (is what I was told). They do not recommend surgery, etc. for stable compression fractures.

Seeing that you are from Maine I figured I would recommend something for rehab as well. I battled problems in my back for months (actually for a full year) after my initial injury before I finally decided to see a spine specialist. I still have good days and bad days depending on what i am doing.

But what really did help is that I finally went through an intense spine-specific physical rehab program at US HealthWorks in Scarborough with a dude named Guy - he literally works the shit out of you for 2-3 hours a day, 1-3 times a week. This program was developed by spine specialists from Mercy Hospital down in Bton and is a bitch...but you will come out much stronger than before. If you've got insurance, I would highly recommend it. If not, I would recommend at least having 1 appointment to set up a home strengthening program.

Good luck.

Feel free to pm me for more info or any quesitons.

[stayhigh]

thanks a lot man. Im going to the spine center in Scabby tomorow (the one attached to Maine Med, I dont know if this is the same). We'll see what they have to say.

[acostiga]

fractured L1 and L2 about two years ago- but only the little wings off the side of the vertebrae. think they were called the 'transverse processes' or something along those lines.

the treatment involved about six weeks as horizontal as possible, and regular doses of vicodin es. after about six weeks the physical therapy stuff began, and about three months after the injury i was feeling back to normal again.

good luck. don't become discouraged or impatient, and rush through the healing process. listen to the advice from your doctors and therapists.

[L7]

fractured L1 and L2 about two years ago- but only the little wings off the side of the vertebrae. think they were called the 'transverse processes' or something along those lines.

That's the name and the one sticking out the back is called spinae process that I snapped off my C7 a few years back. My 'treatment' was limited but only after a CT to be sure it was stable. ie: it had extended slightly into the 'lamina' but not enough to be a concern in the neurologists opinion.

Don't think a valid opinion would be available here without more knowledge of the nature of the fracture.

Paging Vinman for best advice on it from here. Maybe PM him, I'm sure he'd offer what he can.

[Vinman]

L7 is exactly right, a description of where and exactly what(spinous process vs transvers, vs, comprssion . etc) was fractured is very key to giving any type of advise in this case and is basically why I have not yet responded.

[stayhigh]

It turns out its a compression fracture on L1 and L2. The doc saw me for a whole four minutes and told me to strech. Im wondering what I should/ should not be doing. Specifically if driving cross country right now is an okay idea, and what i can do for work when Im out there. I am usually in some sort of pain, and my legs go about 60% numb occasionaly. Doc also told me I could ski in 2 months (carefully) and fully in 3 months. Not exactly worth the $90 he charged me. Didn;t even really give me a piece of mind.

[Vinman]

I would say that if you are having numbness/tingling sensations without doing anything, then you should not be doing much activity, if any. I would guess that sitting for prolonged periods of time (ie. driving) would not be very comfortable or safe since you are prolly still on painkillers. I would also not be comfortable with telling you to do any stretching since you still have numbness. Numbness indicates that the nerves are being irritated/compressed as they exit your spine. i'm guessing since it it L1/L2 that go numb down the front of your thigh, from about the belt line to the top of the knee.

The good news is that most compression fractures will heal up just fine with some time. But you need to give it that time to heal.

[peterslovo]

stayhigh, who did you see at Maine Med?

[stayhigh]

I saw Dr Barr over at Maine Orthapedics on outer congress... what a chump. The only time time he expressed interest was when I said I was going out to Jackson Hole. He didn't seem to give a shit about my back.

[peterslovo]

You are talking about ortho associates next to the hotel? did he at least give you some stretches, etc. to do? man, i'd call back and at least get a referral to see the therapist for some home exercises...

[stayhigh]

This is the one on outer Congress over by the new airport entrance. He gave me a sheet with some stretches on it after I asked.

[Spats]

If you have numbness than something is seriously wrong. I broke C3 and full recovery took most of a year -- and this is with no nerve damage.

If your doctor doesn't react when you have a spinal injury and you mention numbness and pain, he is a dangerous chump. Find another doctor. You do NOT want to mess with your spine. You can end up paralyzed.

The problem with spinal fractures is that they're hard to immobilize, especially low down around L1/L2. But in any case, you do *not* need to be doing anything like riding a bicycle, skiing, or running: your bones need to be knitting. Any serious shock and the broken vertebrae could shift around, and then you are paralyzed for life. When I was in the brace for C3 I wasn't supposed even to ride in cars because of the possibility of further damage from sudden stops or accidents.

[anna.madsen]

My son was beat up at school and they injured, broke what ever you want to call it his L5 and now has 2 bilateral stress fractures. He is 11 years old and Dr. Barr told him to not do sports and to stay still. How do you have a child stay still? Should I get another Dr. involved? Dr. Barr also didn't seem interested in my sons pain or potential back problem. He said he was probably born with it even though there are police reports and hospital exrays showing what these bullies did to him. I think this is all caused from the beating he took. But now what do I do and who do I go to to help my 11 year old son?

I saw Dr Barr over at Maine Orthapedics on outer congress... what a chump. The only time time he expressed interest was when I said I was going out to Jackson Hole. He didn't seem to give a shit about my back.

[XtrPickels]

My son was beat up at school and they injured, broke what ever you want to call it his L5 and now has 2 bilateral stress fractures. He is 11 years old and Dr. Barr told him to not do sports and to stay still. How do you have a child stay still? Should I get another Dr. involved? Dr. Barr also didn't seem interested in my sons pain or potential back problem. He said he was probably born with it even though there are police reports and hospital exrays showing what these bullies did to him. I think this is all caused from the beating he took. But now what do I do and who do I go to to help my 11 year old son?

I don't know him, but it sounds like this guy is a chump. I'd see another specialist. But honestly, there will be pretty little that anyone can do for your son except to exercise the back musculature that support his spine.

I fractured L5 last fall, Honestly don't know how I did it. MRI's and X-rays later there was still nothing the sports med staff or orthoped's could do. I couldn't run for about 6 months without pain for the next 3-4 days. Riding my bike was fine, skiing was fine, but the repetetive pounding of running was not.

With time and strengthening everything is back to normal.Its fun to see the reaction when you tell somene you fractured a vertebrae, but in all honesty its really not as bad as it sounds.

[Free Range Lobster]

I'd get a second opinion, Barr isn't that great.

[Endlessseason]

Wow. I didn't realize there were so many who have injured their neck and back. I compressed my C7 landing a jump on my head almost 10 years ago. I still have limited range and crunching all these years later. Spine-related injuries are terrible.

Good luck all.