Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal Cord Injuries

    * Introduction
    * Clinical
    * Treatment
Most injuries are caused by spinal fractures or dislocations in the spine. Thoracic spine region is frequently affected by subsidence vertebrae fall, combined with anterior flexion of the body. Cervical spine is often affected in car accidents by hiperflexia or hyperextension of the neck. There are factors that favor the occurrence of injuries in the trauma and enhances the action of agents vulnerable. A congenitally narrow spinal canal, spondylosis disease, a hypertrophied yellow ligament or instability of the facet joints in rheumatoid arthritis predispose to severe injuries after minor trauma.
The causes of spinal cord injuries are direct and indirect. Direct causes leading to the dislocation or destruction of the vertebral body. The indirect structure does not affect the spine, but the energy is transmitted spinal injury within the spinal canal.
These injuries have the effect of producing state of concussion, compression, contusion or bone marrow section: - Medullary concussion: it is manifested by a reduction or a temporary loss of function below the area affected spinal segments. There is no structural damage but marrow. - Compression of the medulla: a syndrome characterized by neurological disorder in which bone marrow function is given by the shock of both bone marrow and the compression of the spinal cord. Bone is not structurally damaged, Aeschylus was compressed by a bone or a hematoma juxtamedular. It loses control functions controlled by spinal segments below the injury area. - Medullary contusion: in this case arising from neurological disorders, spinal structural damage by trauma, but not severed. - Section marrow: marrow in this situation is partially or completely severed. Many spinal injuries are due to secondary phenomena of the minutes and hours after the occurrence of injury. Usually, the lesions did not affect the immediate cause bone structure which has a confluence pericapilare small hemorrhages in gray matter. In about 4 hours after myocardial injury appears gray matter and white matter edema. Myocardial injury occurs at an interval of 8 hours of injury. Important to know is that necrosis and hematoma expand and occupy a segment or two above and below the main area affected. Medullary tissue is trying to recover through a process of gliosis that develops in areas of necrosis after months of injury and cause a syndrome siringomielic.