Identification and treatment of thoracolumbar compression fractures and rehabilitation guidance

The first step is to determine whether the fracture is stable, whether there is damage to the spinal cord, cauda equina and spinal nerve roots, and what the degree of damage is, and then to formulate a treatment plan. The basic principles of fracture management are as follows: repositioning, fixation, gongfu activities and medication. ①Stable fracture: Generally, the fracture needs to lie on a hard bed for 6-8 weeks. Compression fractures can be treated with pillow padding, and the appropriate height of the pillow is about 8 to 10 cm. This type of fracture with the practice of gong therapy is more effective, because the correct and appropriate practice can not only restore the compressed vertebral body, to maintain the stability of the spine, and because of the early activities can increase the strength of the lumbar back muscles, not to produce or aggravate the phenomenon of osteoporosis, but also to avoid or reduce the sequelae of chronic low back pain. Specific rehabilitation exercise practices: Songyuan City Hospital Rehabilitation Department Wang Bo a. Five-point support method: patients lying on their backs on a wooden bed, with the head, elbows and heels of five points to support the whole body, the back try to vacate the back extension. This method can be used in the early stage. b. Three-point support method: Developed on the basis of the five-point support method, the patient’s arms are placed in front of the chest, with the head and feet support force, so that the whole body is airborne back extension. This method can be used in the late stage. c, swallow point water method: also known as “a point method”, the patient lying prone upper limbs back, calves and ankles pad a pillow, so that the head and shoulders as far back as possible, while the lower limbs as far as possible taut back extension, the whole body cocked, only let the abdomen on the bed, in an arc, commonly known as “two head cocking “. This method is more demanding, more in the first two methods of exercise for a period of time before using. ② unstable fracture: If there are no clinical symptoms of spinal nerve injury, you can also consider conservative treatment methods, but the time of practice activities should be slightly delayed, and bed time should be slightly longer. For those with signs of spinal cord nerve injury, surgery should be considered in most cases. ③ complete spinal cord injury: early surgery (preferably within 8 hours), incision and repositioning, complete decompression, internal fixation; and preferably within 1 hour after the injury to start with a sufficient amount of glucocorticoids (methylprednisolone), and maintain 1 to 3 days, in order to reduce the spinal cord injury to a minimum. Incomplete spinal cord injury: In addition to drug therapy, braking, etc., clinical symptoms and signs should be closely observed, if there is aggravation or no significant improvement, or CT, MRI examination of the spinal canal has a large piece of bone protrusion, the spinal cord and nerve root pressure should also be operated as soon as possible; if the gradual improvement, you can continue conservative treatment. In cases of combined spinal nerve root injury, refer to the treatment of incomplete spinal cord injury.    First aid treatment of such patients is very important, especially transport, should be used to carry the method of lying down, we move in unison flat support head, back, waist, hip, leg, or rolling method, the injured person moved to a thick-padded wooden stretcher or hard board bed; diagnosis as far as possible to do local CT or MRI examination, in order to understand the situation and degree of injury, in order to help determine the treatment plan. In addition, for paraplegic patients, care should pay special attention to prevent bed sores, urinary tract infections, lung infections, constipation and other occurrences, and it is also very important to perform the necessary functional exercises early.