Trauma and Fractures

Trauma and Fractures

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

The doctor will conduct a physical examination asking you about where you feel pain, loss of sensation or difficulty moving. An X-ray will show most broken vertebrae but other imaging technology may be necessary to show hard-to-see fractures. These may include MRI and CT scans, or further X-rays where you are asked to bend your neck forward and backward (dynamic or flexion-extension views). About 5 percent of spinal injuries have a second fracture either adjacent to the main fracture or elsewhere on the spine. You may be asked to restrict activity or wear a brace until additional studies can be obtained.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007