Thoracic spine surgery

The spinal column in our body is divided in to three main areas called the cervical, the thoracic, and the lumbar area. The cervical spines are the spinal area in the neck and the lumbar is the lower back area.

The area of the spinal column that is surrounded by the ribs is called the thoracic area. A thoracic spine surgery is performed on the spine in this area of the spinal column.

Fractures and dislocations are the commonly treated problems due to a thoracic spine surgery. Permanent neurological injury to the patient is the result of most of the thoracic spine fractures.

The motor functions in our body are mostly affected by these thoracic injuries. A thoracic spine surgery is performed to treat such injuries. It is found that males are the majority among those affected by a thoracic fracture.

The diagnosis part before a thoracic spine surgery is very important. Extensive diagnosis is done before any thoracic spine surgery.

After proper diagnosis the patient is treated using surgical or non-surgical treatment. It depends on the patient’s condition. The area in which the fracture is found and the stability of the patient is the deciding factor in a thoracic spine surgery.

The stability of the spinal cord is determined before a thoracic spine surgery. There are different methods adopted to determine this. There are theories based on which the stability of the spinal column is determined.

The 2 column and 3 column theories are popular in determining the spinal condition before a thoracic spine surgery. Before deciding on the thoracic spine surgery the mechanism of injury is determined.

There are different types of mechanisms like axial compression, flexion, lateral compression, flexion-rotation, shear, flexion-distraction, and extension that causes injury to the thoracic spinal region.

The neurological injury to the patient has also to be considered before a thoracic spine surgery. This is often over looked or difficult to find out. If there is no neurological injury to the patient then the patient can be treated easily with a thoracic spine surgery.

A thoracic spine surgery is best suited for patients with multiple injuries. The main goal of a thoracic spine surgery is to treat the fractures so that there is no damage to the neural elements in the spinal cord.

Stay in the hospital is shorter for a patient who is to undergo a thoracic spine surgery. Sometimes the patients are recommended to stay in a rehabilitation center after a surgery for faster recovery.

CT scan, MRI scan, and anteroposterior and lateral radiographs are used to diagnose a patient for the extent of injury, before a thoracic spine surgery.

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