Spinal trauma
During an accident (traffic accident, fall eg.) or other physical impact the spine can be damaged. Vertebrae can fracture and slip out of place, but also the spinal cord, nerves and intervertebral discs can be damaged. Damage can vary in severity and while some injuries can have a natural recovery, sometimes surgery is necessary for recovery or to prevent further damage.
Symptoms:
When the spine and the surrounding structures are damaged, the following symptoms may occur (depending on the location of the impact):
- Pain in the spine
- Pain or tingling in arms and/or legs
- Sensory loss in arms, legs and/or abdominal region
- Weakness in arms and/or legs
Treatment
It's not always necessary to perform surgery for the spine to recover. When surgery is necessary, usually fusion and internal fixation is needed to stabilise the spine.
LUMC, Haaglanden Medical Center and HagaZiekenhuis all perform non-surgical treatment of spinal injuries. For the surgical treatment of spinal injuries Haaglanden Medical Center is specialised within UNCH.