Fracture of the sacrum: diagnosis, treatment, consequences. How long does the sacrum fracture?

Sacrum is a large and important bone in the human body. It is she who takes the maximum load and helps the person to move, that is why fracture of the sacrum is a very unpleasant diagnosis.

What is the sacrum

The sacrum is a large unified bone, which is formed by the fusion of five vertebrae. Its shape is triangular. In the human body, it is the apex down.

A healthy sacral department is very important for a person's normal life. It is he who helps the body to move, while in a vertical position.

If you look at the rump, its anterior part will be smooth and arched. There are clearly marked 4 lines along the bone. The inner part of the bone is rough.

Why can there be pain in the sacrum

Complaints from patients to doctors on the troubling sacral department come very often. Doctors say that most often the pain in this place is experienced by women. The fact is that in the female body the sacrum is worse developed than in the male, so it is more prone to various injuries and injuries. In addition, the bone is stressed during pregnancy and childbirth.

So why can the rump and coccyx still ache ?

1. Osteochondrosis. The most common cause of pain in this zone.
2. Anomalies in bone development. True, this happens very rarely.
3. A metabolic disorder can also cause pain in this place.
4. Infectious diseases.
5. Tumors of various kinds.
6. Extension of pelvic veins. Basically, this ailment is fixed in females.
7. Problems of gynecological nature.
8. Contusion of the sacrum or fracture.

It is worth noting that women also often experience periodic pain in the sacrum during menstruation. Such pain is not considered a manifestation of any disease, but it is worth making sure that this is really a periodic pain.

Men can also feel pain in the sacrum. As a rule, they arise with prostatitis or with adenoma.

How to recognize a fracture

Fracture of the sacrum has very vivid signs. Knowing them, you can easily suspect a violation of the integrity of the bone, but the final diagnosis can be made only after an additional survey.

So, the main signs that there really was a fracture:

• Sharp pain in the lower back;
• The appearance of edema;
• The formation of a large bruise with bruising;
• At a fracture, as a rule, it is impossible to sit down;
• Pain passes into the legs;
• Frequent urge to urinate;
• Pain during defecation.

It is worth noting that it is impossible to suspect the presence of a fracture, if the patient allocates only one symptom. With such a serious injury, there are always a few symptoms.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor sends the patient to the X-ray. How do X-rays with a fracture of the sacrum? You need several images in different projections to assess the extent of the damage, and also to exclude the presence of bias.

What kind of doctor should I visit first?

Of course, when the rump and coccyx hurts, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. If there was a fracture, then you need to visit a traumatologist, and there are no difficulties in patients. And if the cause of the pain is not a trauma? Where it is necessary to run and to which doctor?

So, it is recommended first to seek the advice of a neurologist, as most often patients have painful sensations due to osteochondrosis. After this, you should visit a urologist or gynecologist and take tests. If the tests are bad, then you need to establish the cause. It is possible that this is a tumor. Then it is necessary to make an appointment with a surgeon or oncologist.

If this is not a fracture, not a tumor, not a problem of gynecology or urology, but an osteochondrosis, then you should practice gymnastics every day, swim in the pool as often as possible and make an appointment for massage sessions. Also often physicians prescribe physiotherapy. Visiting their course significantly improves the condition of the patient.

Symptomatic of fracture

The main symptoms, if there was a fracture of the sacrum, were listed above, but there are, in addition to swelling and pain, a few more signs when the doctor can suspect that it is a violation of the integrity of the bone.

Very often, the pain from fracture is so strong that a person may experience nausea, vomiting and an intense headache. With a very strong fracture, even exfoliation of the skin is possible, but this is extremely rare. The bruise of the sacrum, as a rule, hurts only with palpation and with abrupt movements. The fracture is accompanied by very severe pain, which makes itself felt even during breathing.

If the patient actually had a fracture, then only the horizontal condition will bring him relief, while lying on his stomach will be easier or on his side, but not on his back.

In any case, if a patient has recently suffered a trauma to the sacral department, then he urgently needs to see a doctor. The fact is that sometimes there is no complete fracture, and only a crack is formed on the bone. It does not cause much trouble and usually heals independently, but in the future it is the incorrectly healed crack that can cause many health problems.

Diagnostics

First, it should be noted that the fracture of the sacrum is divided into two groups: open and closed.

The closed fracture assumes only partial destruction of a bone. In this case, the skin remains untouched and visible damage, except for puffiness, no. Sometimes bruising and bruising may occur.

An open fracture is much more dangerous than a closed one. The cracked bone damages the skin and tears it. From this point of view, open fractures have a worse effect on health. Damaged tissues are slowly restored, and due to the fact that a person has an open wound, it is possible to get blood infection in the absence of qualitative treatment.

After the doctor has determined which group the fracture belongs to, it is necessary to take X-rays. How do X-rays with a rupture of the sacrum? Usually this is a snapshot in two projections. In case of severe injuries, it is recommended to undergo computed tomography.

After conducting the diagnosis, the medical worker makes a conclusion, diagnoses and can appoint (if necessary) the necessary procedures.

Necessary treatment

Healing of fractures takes time, especially if it is a fracture of the sacrum. Treatment is appointed by the doctor, based on the nature of the damage.

If the fracture is closed, then the patient is assigned only rest and bed rest. To sleep and lie is necessary only on a hard surface, which among doctors is called a shield. If the patient's bed allows, then you can put a simple piece of flat plywood. If this is not possible, then you should take care of buying a special couch. For a broken sacrum, put a soft roller.

If the patient has been diagnosed with a compression fracture, in this case, recovery can be calculated only after the installation of special staples. As a result of the compression fracture, the vertebra is compressed, and the victim feels unbearable pain.

If the fracture is mixed, in this case only surgery will help.

At any stage of healing, patients are prescribed pain medications. However, do not get carried away and take them too often. Their constant intake minimizes the analgesic effect, and besides some drugs like "Ketanov" negatively affect the heart muscle and stomach.

Recovery period

From the first for after the injury the patient is assigned a strict bed rest. Compliance with it is especially important at the stage of recovery, because few injuries are more dangerous than fracture of the sacrum. How long does such damage heal and how else can the patient be helped?

To begin with, you need to think through a set of physical exercises. It is impossible to overstrain the patient, but light loads are simply necessary even for the muscles to not atrophy after a long period of inactivity.

What else is necessary to do for a speedy recovery?

1. Eat sour-milk products. Kefir, cottage cheese, natural yoghurts are rich in calcium. Calcium helps the bones to fuse faster. It is worth remembering that calcium is absorbed only together with fat, so fat-free sour milk is better not to get carried away.
2. When the patient goes on the mend, it is advisable to write it to the course of restorative and therapeutic massage. If it is hard for him to move, you can call the masseur at home.
3. To quickly remove the swelling, you can apply tampons that have been soaked in a decoction of marigold or chamomile. Such compresses are shown only with closed fractures.

Usually patients completely recover within two or four months, however, if the recommendations are not followed, the recovery period can be increased.

Possible complications

Some injuries are very insidious, such as a fracture of the sacrum. The consequences can be serious. If the bone is severed severely, then damage to the fragments of the rectum or abdominal cavity is possible.

If untimely treatment is sometimes damaged in the patient's spinal cord, which is also very dangerous.

But most often even after recovery, patients note the effects of a neurological nature, for example pain syndromes, numbness of the site or its poor mobility.