My 71-year-old mother had T8 vertebral body fracture. Kindly advice.

Question

Hello doctor,

I am living in a place, but my mother lives abroad in a country with limited access to spinal surgeons. She is 71 otherwise fit and well for her age. She slipped over and was told she has a t8 vertebral body fracture that is minimally displaced with no cord compression. She is in pain, but does not want to immobilise or stay in bed. What advice does she need to follow? Her sphincters are intact and she can control her bowels and bladder.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

If she has a T8 vertebral fracture, that is I hope a compression fraction that you are talking about, which is minimally displaced and compressed. Then the treatment that is required is principally pain relief with minimal activities and physiotherapy initially to her mobilize with frame or support. She can use a TLSO brace (thoracic, lumbar sacral orthosis) and mobilize as able as tolerated by pain. Bed rest is only indicated in case of severe pain. Pain-killers like Co-codamol or Paracetamol or Morphine can be prescribed locally. Physiotherapy is given initially to get her up, and I can only give you an exact approach to this if you can send me the MRI report of the pictures. This professional advice provided by me stands subject to the actual examination of report or image and is based entirely on inputs provided to me. It should be correlated with clinical findings.