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Fractures of the Spine.The consequences depend upon the damage inflicted to the spinal cord. For it must be remembered that the spine is a bony canal, containing the nerves which run from the brain to the limbs and trunk. Any injury to the spine which causes pressure upon these nerves must of course occasion interference with the functions of the body and limbs. It sometimes happens that portions of the spine are broken off without affecting the contents of this bony canal, for the backbone is composed of different joints, each of which is provided with a bony projection or spine, which extends backward from the spinal column. It is these bony spines which constitute the ridge of the backbone. The application of violence is sometimes followed by a fracture of one or more of these spines, without injury to the part of the backbone which contains the nerves. In this case there is no further damage than the pain at the point of injury. We can sometimes detect a movable piece of bone, and possibly feel the grating sensation customary in fractures. There may also be a marked deformity due to the displacement of the broken bony projection. If this be replaced, and the patient kept quiet, union occurs without difficulty.and no permanent injury results. In most cases, however, a fracture of the spine involves those parts of the bones which constitute the bony canal surrounding the spinal cord. In this case the cord itself, including the bundle of nerves which proceed from the brain to the limbs, is injured. It is not necessary, in order to interrupt the nervous current, that the spinal cord should be actually wounded or cut, for simple pressure upon it suffices to interfere with the passage of the nervous influence along the cord. It sometimes happens, therefore, that a very slight fracture - one which cannot be detected by the usual signs - is quite sufficient to compress the spinal cord and to arrest the passage of nervous force from the brain to the limbs. Indeed, it has been observed in many cases that if there be no displacement of the broken bone, but simply an escape of blood into the spinal canal, the same symptoms follow as if a piece of the bone were driven into the spinal cord. Symptoms which follow an injury to the spine resulting in wounding or compression of the spinal cord, vary according to the location of the injury. If the fracture occur in the lower part of the back, there results paralysis of the legs and of the bladder and rectum. The patient is unable to move the lower extremities or to evacuate the bladder or bowels voluntarily ; there is usually a loss of feeling in the lower half of the body, though during the first few hours or days there may be an extreme sensitiveness of the extremities so that the slightest touch, even the contact of the bedclothes, causes extreme pain. If the injury be situated at some point higher up in the spine, there will be paralysis of the trunk as well as of the limbs, and if the spine be injured in the neck the entire body except the hand will be paralyzed. In the latter case death sometimes occurs instantaneously. Treatment. - The treatment of fracture of the spine consists usually in the treatment of the symptoms of the various organs caused by injuries of the spinal cord The bowels and bladder give the patient a good deal of trouble, since he has no control over either ; the bladder usually becomes severely inflamed In some rare cases it has been possible to set fractures of the spine with the effect of relieving somewhat the symptoms of the patient. In the majority of cases, however, no treatment applied to the seat of the injury itself is of any avail in overcomi'ng the injury; for the damage is done at the time of the fracture, and a replacement of the bone cannot undo the injury done to the spinal cord. The subsequent history of these cases varies in details, but always includes permanent paralysis to a greater or less extent. In the .most favorable instances, the power of movement in the limbs is recovered to a certain degree ; in most cases the spinal cord undergoes degeneration at the seat of injury ; the flesh mortifies, forming large bed-sores, and the patient finally dies of exhaustion. The injured person should be kept in the recumbent position, and regular evacuations of the bladder and of the bowels should be secured by the use of the catherer in the one case, and of warm-water injections in the other. Medicines will rarely accomplish any good. Sometimes benefit is derived from the application of croton oil to the skin at the seat of the injury. But first, if you want to come back to this web site again, just add it to your bookmarks or favorites now! Then you'll find it easy! Also, please consider sharing our helpful website with your online friends.
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