Spine fracture
Spine fractures (vertebral fractures) may have different causes . In younger adults, the most common causes are traffic accidents,sSports injuries, such as riding or skiing or falls or jumps into the shallow water, but also household and work-related accidents and physical violence play a role. In older people, other causes are possible. According to a press report from the Federal Statistical Office in 1999 in Germany suffered 46,433 patients from a vertebral compression fracture. The patients had to be treated an average of 17 days in the hospital .
If the bone structure already damaged a vertebra can break even without external influence . Most common cause of such pathological ( disease-related ) spinal fractures is osteoporosis . But also bone tumors , bone metastases , bone infection ( osteomyelitis) , osteomalacia ( " osteomalacia " ) and rheumatic diseases can cause vertebral fractures spontaneously ( without excessive force or accident that is ) . These fractures can even be triggered by everyday stress as the bone is less stable due to the underlying disease .
Half of all vertebral fractures account for the transition between the thoracic and lumbar spine (Th10 to L2). This is due to the anatomical and biomechanical characteristics of this area. The transition from the convex ( kyphotic ) to the concave thoracic spine (lordotic) lumbar spine which are no longer stabilizing effect of the chest and the abrupt change of the intervertebral joint position are responsible . Especially in the cervical spine , the vertebral segments 5-7 and the tooth of the second extension is Cervical vertebra affected . Accompanying neurological injuries occur in 40 % of cervical and 20% of the thoracic and lumbar spine injuries. Paraplegia occur here because of the accident mechanisms especially in men at a younger age.