On July 5, Beijing time, Brazil star Neymar fell to the ground in pain after a scuffle with Colombia’s Zuniga, and then left the field and was taken to the local San Carlos Hospital in Fortaleza. After an X-ray examination, Neymar was diagnosed with a fracture of the third lumbar transverse process and will miss the rest of the Cup, which is expected to take at least a month to recover. Brazilian team doctor Rodrigo Lasma also told the media about the details of Neymar’s injury: “Through a computerized X-ray scan, we found that Neymar has a fracture of the transverse process of the third lumbar vertebra. In other words, it is a fracture of the lumbar region, not serious enough to require surgery, but during the recovery period his activities will be affected and he will not be able to engage in strenuous sports. He will be in some pain during this time, so he will need to rest and wear a back brace to alleviate the pain. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to continue playing.” This is an awkward position, and with conservative treatment, you can only wait for the bone to heal naturally, during which time you cannot apply pressure and need to reduce movements such as turning over. The lumbar spine consists of a total of five vertebrae that support the entire back. The third lumbar vertebra is located in the middle of the lumbar vertebrae, with a long transverse process that extends horizontally, with blood vessels and nerve bundles passing nearby and more myofascial attachments. As can be seen in the cross-sectional view, the most lateral lumbar transverse process is circled by the red marker. The third lumbar spine itself is a high incidence area for lumbar diseases. The third lumbar transverse process syndrome occurs in young and middle-aged manual workers and is one of the causes of low back pain or low back and leg pain. In the orthostatic position, the third lumbar vertebra is at the apex of the physiological anterior convexity of the lumbar vertebra, which is an important part of the mechanical transmission, and is therefore susceptible to external forces and injury, causing tears, bleeding, scar adhesions, thickening and contracture of the muscles attached to the area, resulting in symptoms due to friction, irritation and compression of the vascular nerve bundles. In addition, there are many muscles and fascia attached to the end of the transverse process of the lumbar vertebrae that are closely related to the activities of the trunk. At the same time, the third lumbar vertebra is the activity center of the lumbar spine, and because the transverse process of the third lumbar vertebra is longer, the muscles, fascia and ligaments attached to it can effectively maintain the stability and normal activities of the spine. The longer transverse process also enhances the leverage of the muscles, which have more opportunities to contract and pull with the greatest tension, and when these tissues contract abnormally, the end of the transverse process bears the brunt. This anatomical feature forms the basis for the vulnerability of the end to injury. Therefore, although Neymar’s injury does not require surgical treatment for the time being, it is still difficult to restart ball training in a short period of time because the back injury affects other parts of the body. After further diagnosis is completed, doctors will announce a more specific injury and recovery time for Neymar.