Personal Injury Medical Terms Part II – Spinal Glossary (A-C)

By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury

This is Part II of VI in my Personal Injury Medical Terms Glossary. This blog will focus on the most common injuries and terms related spinal injuries that are suffered by those injured as a result of a slip and fall, a car accident, a motorcycle accident, a bicycle accident or a pedestrian accident. Often times these injuries are permanent in nature.

Prior to providing a list of specific medical terms, I am going to attempt to provide an easy to digest overview of the back. Your spinal column consists of 31 vertebrae which are bones stacked upon one another which house and protect the spinal canal. The individual vertebrae in the vertebral column are separated by discs. The discs in your spine allow for movement and act as shock absorbers. Each disc is made up of a center portion of a gel like material which is surrounded fibrous material that keeps the gel in place. Think of a jelly doughnut. The jelly is the nucleus and the surrounding doughnut is the annulus. If the doughnut is compressed the jelly will move to the edges and out of the center where it belongs.

Annulus Fibrosus

Annulus fibrosus is the tough fibrous exterior of the invertebral discs. If we go back to the jelly doughnut example, this is the doughnut.

Bulging Disc

A bulging disc is a medical condition that describes a disc which bulges outside of the space which it should normally occupy. They result from a stretching or weakening of the annulus fibrosus which allows the nucleus pulposus to occupy a larger area. If we go back to the jelly doughnut example, imagine applying pressure to the jelly doughnut to a point in which the sides expand, but do not allow any of the jelly to escape.

Burst Fractures

Burst fractures are severe and are usually caused by trauma or extreme force. The vertebra has been crushed and the spinal column and cord compromised. This type of fracture is unstable and requires immediate medical care.

Caudal Migration

Caudal migration describes the conditions when a piece of disc material breaks off and begins travelling down the spine. If we go back to the jelly doughnut example, a caudal migration describes a condition in which the jelly escapes the doughnut and moves away from the doughnut.

Cervical Radiculopathy

Cervical Radiculopathy is the damage to the nerve function that results when one of the nerves near the cervical vertebrae is compressed. Cervical radiculopathy can be caused by a slip and fall, a car accident, a motorcycle accident, a bicycle accident or a pedestrian accident. Its symptoms include a pain that radiates from the upper back into the shoulder(s) and arm(s).

Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

The cervical area of the spine is located primarily in the neck. It may be noted by the shorthand C1-C8 which describes each vertebra in the cervical region. Spinal cord injuries occur when the bones protecting the spinal cord are damaged causing the spinal cord to be damaged. Injuries to the cervical area of the spinal cord may cause complete paralysis beginning at the location of the injury extending down. Many times this injury results in quadriplegia.

Compression Fracture

A compressions fracture is the collapse of a vertebra. Compression fractures can occur as a result of a slip and fall, a car accident, a motorcycle accident, a bicycle accident or pedestrian accident

Compression-Torsion-Translation Fracture

Compression-Torsion-Translation Fractures result from multiple forces. As the name implies this spinal fracture occurs when there is compression, twisting, turning and movement without rotation.

Jones Law Group

Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident? Contact an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury law firm today. When you contact our office we will immediately set an appointment where you will meet your attorney and be provided with his/her personal contact information. If you do not have transportation or you cannot drive, your attorney will travel to meet you and discuss your case with you.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a slip and fall, a car accident, a motorcycle accident, a bicycle accident or a pedestrian accident, you should immediately call an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg at Jones Law Group at (727) 571-1333 during regular business hours or (727) 753-8657 on weekends or after regular business hours. We will evaluate your case for free and you will never pay us a dime unless we recover compensation for your injuries.

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