The spine, or columna vertebralis, is the bone structure consisting of vertebrae and containing the spinal cord.

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Columna vertebralis is 70 cm long, the spinal cord inside varies between 43-45 cm; that is, the spinal cord is shorter than the columna vertebralis. The spine is the most important part and fundamental axis of the skeleton, consisting of bone, cartilage, or both. It stretches across the back and provides support to the body.

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Function of the Spine

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It is to carry the weight of the head, trunk, many internal organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities and to be a solid support for them. It also provides movements of the head and trunk. Meanwhile, it forms a solid and safe sheath for a very important organ such as the spinal cord in the spinal canal.

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The spine is made up of 33-34 vertebrae in humans. The first 24 of these vertebrae are connected to each other through joints with cartilages called intervertebral discs. These vertebrae are divided into three groups. These are 7 neck vertebrae, 12 dorsal vertebrae and 5 lumbar vertebrae. The coccyx was formed by the fusion of the first five of the remaining 9-10 vertebrae, and the tailbone was formed by the fusion of 4-5 small and underdeveloped vertebrae at the bottom.

 

Spine Fractures

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The fracture of the spinal bones is usually caused by a very severe trauma. Since the spine is strong and well protected by the fibrous tissues that surround it, its fracture is only dependent on severe blows. Injuries to the spine can occur in automobile accidents, falls, when trying to move or lift a very heavy load, or during sudden jumps and jumps.

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In general, the first complaint in patients with spinal fractures is pain. Neck, back or lower back pain may be accompanied by muscle spasms. If there is a spinal cord injury along with the fracture, there may be various complaints such as numbness, numbness in the arms and/or legs, loss of strength, urinary incontinence, incontinence, and inability to do so. If adequate treatment is not applied in patients who do not have nerve injury after fracture, a humpback (kyphosis) in the spine and the severe pain it may cause may result in paralysis.

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If the injury has caused an unstable fracture or fracture-dislocation, caused or has the risk of causing spinal cord damage, surgical methods are preferred for treatment. In surgical treatment, restoration of the integrity of the vertebrae is usually achieved with screws and rods applied from the back. The placement of these rods can also be performed with closed methods in suitable patients, thus minimizing postoperative pain and hospital stay. If there is a risk of nerve damage or injury, the relaxation process called decompression is added to the treatment during surgery.

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Vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty method is preferred for compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. In the vertebroplasty method, bone cement is sent into the vertebrae to relieve the pain while preventing the progression of collapse.

 

Degenerative Spine Diseases

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The spine is the most important structure of the movement system, which consists of the articulation of bones called vertebrae. Thanks to these plural joints, we can lean forward and backward. The basic articulation between the bones here is through the discs.

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These joints, which connect the vertebrae and enable their mobility, can wear out over time and become painful, just like the hip and knee joints of the body.

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Another feature of the spine that causes it to separate from other joints is that it contains a cavity in the middle called the spinal canal, which contains the spinal cord and nerve roots. All kinds of formations in the bones and joints surrounding this canal can cause problems such as pain, numbness, and loss of muscle strength (paralysis) by pressing on the nerve tissue inside after a certain size.

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These structural changes in the disc and joints are always progressive. There is never any spontaneous recovery or reversal.

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All of these changes in the spine are called degenerative spine disease. Lumbar (waist) and cervical (neck) spine are the most common regions.

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Most of them are thought to be caused by genetic reasons. In addition, sedentary life, smoking, obesity and heavy working conditions are also factors that accelerate the process.

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The disease starts from the disc. The first change is the reduction of the fluid content of the disc. The disc, which begins to dry out, begins to fail to fulfill its load-bearing function, and its fragility increases. It cannot maintain the height between the two vertebrae and becomes curved towards the periphery. It cannot control the movement between the two vertebrae. It loses its load carrying capacity.

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The aim of non-surgical treatments is to relieve pain, reduce nerve or disc stimulation, and improve the patient's physical condition to protect the spine. This procedure is successful in most patients with an organized treatment program that combines various treatment methods.

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Since degenerative changes can never heal on their own, the main purpose is to adapt the patient's life to this. When it is not possible or in some compulsory cases, the problem is resolved with surgical treatment.