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Some do not develop symptoms until a few days after the injury. [3] Causes may include motor vehicle collisions, falls, sports injuries, and non accidental trauma. [3] [2] A number of underlying mechanisms are proposed including spinal cord contusion, injury to the blood supply to the spinal cord, and excessive stretching of the cord. [3]
Spinal column injury is trauma that causes fracture of the bone or instability of the ligaments in the spine; this can coexist with or cause injury to the spinal cord, but each injury can occur without the other. [23] Abnormalities might show up on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but the term was coined before MRI was in common use. [24]
Once the spinal injury has occurred, one of two things may happen. Firstly, hemorrhaging within the spinal cord may cause compression, which damages the spinal cord even further. Another consequence of myelomalacia is improper circulation of blood to the area damaged, resulting in further damage to the spinal cord. [citation needed]
These anomalies are observed in about 3.5 percent of people, and it is usually bilateral but can be unilateral or incomplete (ipsilateral or contralateral rudimentary facets) as well. Although sacralization may be a cause of low back pain , it is asymptomatic in many cases (especially bilateral type).
Diagnosis of a back injury begins with a physical examination and thorough medical history by health-care personnel. [8] [14] Some injuries, such as sprains and strains or herniated discs, can be diagnosed in this manner. To confirm these diagnoses, or to rule out other injuries or pathology, imaging of the injured region can be ordered.
Causes can be bone fragments from a vertebral fracture, a tumor, abscess, ruptured intervertebral disc or other lesion. When acute it can cause a medical emergency independent of its cause, and require swift diagnosis and treatment to prevent long-term disability due to irreversible spinal cord injury .
The most common form of myelopathy in humans, cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), [2] [3] also called degenerative cervical myelopathy, [4] results from narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis) ultimately causing compression of the spinal cord. [5] When due to trauma, myelopathy is known as (acute) spinal cord injury.
Myelitis is inflammation of the spinal cord which can disrupt the normal responses from the brain to the rest of the body, and from the rest of the body to the brain. . Inflammation in the spinal cord can cause the myelin and axon to be damaged resulting in symptoms such as paralysis and sen