2/8/2024 0 Comments C7 transverse process fracture![]() When this occurs, it’s known as a non-union. The bone will not re-attach itself back to vertebrae. However, with a spinous process fracture that is separated to this degree, the bone will most likely never heal. In general, children’s bones heal faster than those of adults. For a person with good health status, the bone will take on average six to eight weeks to heal to a significant degree. Factors affecting bone healing include: the type of fracture and the patient’s age underlying medical conditions and nutritional status. Treatment Considerationsīone healing is a complex process and will differ significantly among individuals. Symptoms are typically worse with the head down or when the arms are active in front of the body (such as driving or working at the computer). You will likely see loss of cervical motion and possibly shoulder motion as those motions will cause muscles to pull directly on the site of injury which limits one’s desire to move. If only the spinous process is injured, you should not see any neurologic symptoms. The area of fracture as well as the nearby spinous processes is typically very tender as are the nearby muscles. The pain is often described as feeling similar to a severe muscle strain in the upper back. Other symptoms include muscle tightness and sharp pain that increases with repeated activity and movement of the neck or shoulder girdle. In most cases, there is pain immediately after the injury which is often described as a burning or “knife-like” stabbing pain. Many of the deeper neck extensors and rotators such as the splenius capitus and splenius cervicis as well as the trapezius, rhomboids and serratus posterior muscles have C7 attachment points. The C7 vertebra is right in the middle of transition from the cervical spine to the thoracic spine and is home to many fascial attachments and muscular attachments from the neck and shoulder girdle. More importantly, the spinous processes are there as an attachment point for muscles and ligaments.Ĭ7 is the largest cervical vertebrae in the neck. The role of the spinous process, particularly in the cervical region, is to help limit cervical hyper extension. This occurs when the end of the spinous process is either broken off by a physical impact (as in the case of Jennifer’s son when the barbell hit his neck) OR as a result of the muscle pulling so hard that it breaks the bone and literally tears off part of the spinous process. This particular fracture is also known as a Clay Shoveler’s Fracture. One should never take unwarranted risks when evaluating spinal injuries. I’m glad that the injury was taken seriously with appropriate medical follow up. This was confirmed by the physician’s physical exam, X-rays, and CT Scan. Although close to the lamina of the vertebra (which has a primary role of protecting the spinal cord), it was not injured. Right: CT Scan of C7 fracture.)Īs you can notice on the imaging provided, only the spinous process was injured.
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