Hi all,
I'm Bob B and have been over at the PN forum for a few years.
Yesterday my 33 yo son dove into the pool and hit his head.
His neck is broken at C5 and compressing the spinal cord.
I want info on treatment, surgery & recovery.
Google has too much for me to understand at this moment.
I'm upset (to put it mildly) and want some answers that the
docs just say, wait and see- then we'll know better.
Anybody have any suggestions?

Is your son in the hospital? Tell us a little about what's going on with him. Is he paralyzed? A break at C5 is better than a break higher up for sure, at least for healing. I'm sure the drs. are waiting for the injury swelling to subside before they can really do anything.

My spinal cord was almost totally pinched off at C5, non injury. It was corrected with surgery (2 weeks from onset).

Give us a little more info please so we can give you better information.

Linda

Bob,
The old forum which crashed a few months ago had a spine injury, and disorder forum. On the injury site there were some with an injury as your son's.

I do not know much of the injury your son suffered but went through a recent near fatal flesh eating infection of my daughter. First, if this is a good large hospital with top specialist, you have to trust them a lot. But, keep in hindsight a long list of questions, don't give them bank power to do as they wish. Ask for second opinion, ask for pro and con of procedures. The doctors should and will explain the proceddure in front of you; they have to give informaed consent of the complications and alternatives.....not just wheel him off with a signiture.

It does sound like if he is stable for know, and you do not mention paryalisis that he may mend uneventfully. While a break can be extremly serious they are generally treated agressivly and not a wait and see situation. Stability is sougth swiftly the worse the break.

As I said I do not have personal experiance, just from reading other post, the car accidents that I was involved with during my investagations as a police officer and the ol' TV critical care shows. Only two young men had permanant injury, the several others thank Heaven were able to recover.

A big HUGE thing that helped was the large source of support here, in prayers and wishes. Hundreds prayed for my daughter as she fought for her life and I had such distrust for the doctors. I was faced with deciding to take time to life flight her to another medical center or have immedicate surgery. She took a spiral down so fast with the infection spreading up her arm we had immedicate surgery.
I later found out during the same week an accountance had a friend lifeflighted to the larger center, they tried hyberberic chamber to regenerate or help the flesh. Instead the bacteria, aggressive feed on the procedure and the man lost his leg.

In my case, God's hand worked a miracle and direction and prayers helped us through as it can you. The friends here gave me tons of information, other alternatives, supportive shoulders. Even people that had infections from staff and open wounds were an extremly valuable source.

I never could have made it without the gang on Brain Talk.
My prayers are going up for your family, I will see if I can sort some of the information as others will contribute too.
But if you can keep us updated and know we are here when you can't.
Dianne

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract
: Spinal Cord. 2005 Feb;43(2):109-16. Related Articles, Links


Spinal cord injuries due to diving accidents.

Aito S, D'Andrea M, Werhagen L.

Spinal Unit, Careggi Hospital, Firenze, Italy.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study and data analysis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyse the main features of spinal cord injuries due to diving accidents accepted in our Centre from June 1978 to December 2002. SETTING: Regional Spinal Unit of Florence, Italy. INTRODUCTION: Diving accidents mostly occur in a young and healthy population and most of the patients develop tetraplegia with a severe lifelong disability. From 1978 to 2002, 65 patients with spinal injuries due to diving accidents were admitted to the Regional Spinal Unit of Florence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted by analysing data stored in our local computerized database. We considered the vertebral injury, ASIA-ISCOS neurological classification on admission and discharge, gender, age at the time of injury, month of injury, treatment of vertebral lesion, length of stay in the Spinal Unit, neurological outcome, and complications. Data were analysed statistically by using the Fisher's exact test and logistic regression. RESULTS: In all, 62/65 patients were males (95%). Mean age at injury time: 22 years. On admission, 35/65 were neurologically complete ASIA A (54%), while 16 were classified ASIA B, 7 ASIA C and 7 ASIA D, according to the ASIA-ISCOS neurological standard of classification. C6 was the most common neurological motor level (40%) and C5 the most common vertebral injury level. In all, 36/65 (55%) patients underwent surgical treatment. Mean hospitalization time was 5 months. No neurological deterioration was recorded. In all, 20/65 (31%) patients improved neurologically and 16/20 (80%) of those had received surgical treatment. In all, 15/65 (23%) patients had complications and one patient died during the hospitalization period. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION: Patients whose vertebral lesions were surgically treated had a better neurological outcome than conservatively treated ones. Teardrop fractures showed worse neurological outcome as compared with burst fractures. Neurological improvement was more present in initially incomplete lesions. Treatment with high dose methylprednisolone during the first 8 h after trauma seemed to influence the neurological outcome positively. Age was also an important factor in influencing the neurological outcome.

PMID: 15558081 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

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http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/archive...p/t-37442.html
View Full Version : 14 yo 3 weeks post c5-6


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okwjoe09-19-2004, 07:20 PM
My son sustained a c 5-6 subluxation after a diving accident. they rehab doctor says he is a compltete c4. I am very confused. He has sensation to his wrist bilaterallly touch not pinprick. but knows which finger we are pulling at times. The other day he he felt his fingers were "like stuck in a car door and it was slammmed on it" He has sensation to the xiphoid process. and at upper back. The other day I found a sheath off the therometer in his **** and he told me about the later in the day that he felt all morning. He said right after the accident he felt thr grass under his shoulder and the board in the same place when he was transported. He also can flex and extend his elbows while in therapy. the doc said it was a c-7 movement Is he a incomplete?

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Wise Young09-19-2004, 08:17 PM
okwjoe,

What you describe is not uncommon. The presence of even brief periods of voluntary movement and sensation below the injury site during the first days or weeks after injury is a positive hopeful sign. I have known several people who have recovered substantially after episodes. He may be "complete" right now but he is still very early after injury (3 weeks) and may have a lot of recovery in front of him. Did your son receive methylprednisolone?

Wise.

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09-19-2004, 08:22 PM
DR young he did!! he recieved 2 grams of solumedrol boluses within 2 hours and recieved 354 mg / hour x 24 hours and was in cervical traction within 5 hours and was surgery was in two days.

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09-19-2004, 08:25 PM
HE did he recieved total of 2 grams of solumedrol and 354mg/hr over the next 24 hours .. he was flown to Weschester Medical Center placed in cervical traction and he spine was fused within 48 hours.

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Brocks2ndmom09-19-2004, 08:33 PM
hi I dont know if I can answer your questions but I can at least give you hope and support. My son's best friend had a 4 wheeler accident Aug. 3, 2004. When he came into the emergency room and after the neurosurgens had looked him over and mris and all the works they proceeded to tell us that he would never walk again and would have minimal recovery. He was operated on the following day and the day after that he was sent straight to rehab. He is a c5 incomplete. Now he are all the accomplishments that have happened since then: he can move both sides of his body hands, legs, arms, feet, toes, fingers, left just a little stronger than right, he can now move his butt muscles his sensory is better on his left side he can adjust himself on the bed a little. All of this was not expected according to the doctors. His doctor at the rehab is shocked everyday with his progress. I dont know what your religous preferances are but all I know is God was all over Brock and his recovery and still is. I will pray for your son if you like. I think also giving him all the support and love he can handle can go a long way. Brock has had so many people telling him he can that he doesnt believe there is anything he cant do. He went through depression and still does at times and thats ok. Just dont let him stay there. There is another lady on here who son was injured c2-3 he is now walking and going to college. Where there is hope there is accomplishment. I would say dont let him give up. Another thing is dont be afraid to be his parent. what i am saying is dont be afraid to treat him like you would before the accident. The last thing they want is to be treated different or like a baby. They have so much dignty taken from them with this that the last thing they need is to have you treat them like they were 3 again. I have learned so much about sci from here and from Brock that I have a great respect for anyone who has to deal with the everyday activities when they have a sci. It is really hard to see a teenager wearing ted hose to keep from getting bloodclots. This is something you see old people wearing. Not to mention the bowel and bladder problems. Please keep coming here and keep us posted and anytime you want to talk you can im me on yahoo messenger at mstc33. Hope everything goes well for you and for him. I know sometimes it is harder on the parent than the child. Sometimes Brock surprises me at how much stronger he is than his mom. Be strong and Be blessed. Teresa

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09-19-2004, 08:47 PM
thank you for the support brock's mom. This is way i am anxious about this complete vs. incomplete.. according to Dr. young inomplete's have better prognosis than complete. He had sensory down to his wrists on the 3rd day post injury.

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Brocks2ndmom09-19-2004, 09:11 PM
i dont know much about complete and incomplete but I have heard of someone being complete and becoming incomplete. At least I think I am right about that. I will tell you something else that will help you understand all this you can go to where it says "hi i am new here" on the topics list and then go down to where betheny post. She post a link on there for me that has explained a whole lot for me. I would put the link on here for ya but I am not that computer literate. hehehe. Teresa

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LFC09-19-2004, 11:04 PM
OKWJOE, my son suffered a C 2/3 SCI last year. I remember all too well how torturous those first days and weeks were. My son was on a ventilator for two months and it was a very scary time. But, fortunately, things started to "wake up" ever so gradually. Every few days something very little happened - a tingling feeling or a slight movement. The days that he tried to move something with success I was elated. The days that nothing new happened, I was so sad. It has been a long road, but my son I think surprised many of his doctors and therapists, and last month walked back into his first college class post SCI. (I think I am the mother that Brocks2ndmom was referring to.) As so many have said, it is a marathon, not a sprint. Prepare yourself. A nurse told me that early on and was she ever right. The best advice I can give is to learn all you can about SCI. Use the resources and people's experiences here on this site to help you. You will find them invaluable. Also, check out "Caregiving" on this site. Everyone is so supportive and sometimes you just need to vent or a shoulder to cry on in order to face the next day. Good luck to you, your son, and your family. I will keep you all in my prayers.

http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/article...?artid=1025902
This page has links to the article pages below it.

West J Med. 1987 October; 147(4): 428–431.
Copyright notice


Patterns of Cervical Spine Injury and Their Associated Lesions
A. Norman Guthkelch, FRCS and Alan S. Fleischer, MD






Abstract
Motorcycle riding and diving into shallow water continue to present a high risk of cervical spine injury, often complicated by spinal cord damage. In patients with high cervical cord trauma, differentiation of arterial hypotension due to losing vasomotor control from the effects of internal hemorrhage can cause difficulty. In a series of 123 consecutive cases of cervical spine injury, no evidence was found that either early surgical treatment or steroid administration exert a favorable influence on recovery from traumatic myelopathy. When compared with other series, differences were found in the nature, frequency and severity of both spinal and associated injuries, resulting from the relative frequency among the population studied of trauma due to a particular mechanism—traffic accident, diving, industrial injury—and the special functions and location of the hospital from which information is gathered.
Full textFull text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (984K), or see the PubMed citation or the full text of some References or click on a page below to browse page by page.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...11/ai_n8762809
Neurological deterioration after posterior wiring of the cervical spine
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Nov 1997 by Lundy, Douglas W, Murray, H Herndon
Posterior cervical wiring is commonly performed for patients with spinal instability, but has inherent risks. We report eight patients who had neurological deterioration after sublaminar or spinous process wiring of the cervical spine; four had complete injuries of the spinal cord, one had residual leg spasticity and three recovered after transient injuries.

We found no relation between the degree of spinal canal encroachment and the severity of the spinal-cord injury, but in all cases neurological worsening appeared to have been caused by either sublaminar wiring or spinous process wiring which had been placed too far anteriorly.

Sublaminar wiring has substantial risks and should be used only at atlantoaxial level, and then only after adequate reduction. Fluoroscopic guidance should be used when placing spinous process wires especially when the posterior spinal anatomy is abnormal.

J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 1997;79-B:948-51. Received 23 December 1996; Accepted after revision 16 July 1997

Bob, I don't have any info to help you, I only wanted to say how sorry I am and please keep us updated as to how your son is doing.
HUgs, Linda

Thanks to all of you for your help.
My son has had a 'burst' compression fracture at C5 with (possoble/probable) damage upward and down ward to C4 & C6. His surgeon said that he is classified as a 'quad', but he has movement in his upper arms to elbows and gross feeling in his hands. He wa operated on yesterday to relieve the compression (anterior?) and may need a (posterior) operation today or tomorrow.
He is intibated (sp?) and will tbe 'trached'(sp?) in about 5 days.
They don't know if he can breathe on his own, yet- too soon to tell. He is agitated and moves his head when they bring him out of sedation- so they're keeping him sedated as much as possible. Its only the first 48 hrs at this time and too soon to tell about anything.
I thank you for your prayers and accept them gratefully.
I think he needs all the help he can get.

Dear Bob,
My on going prayers are with your family. It sounds like your son is on a long road ahead of recovery, I am so sorry to hear what a difficut situation it is. It is early and time is on your side. While sedated the body can calmed for his care.

Our family and friends have you all close and feel free to write, vent, search as you need or can.
Dianne

Bob: I'm so I can't offer you any help about your son. He sounds much more completed then most of us have been. There is one man who had temporary paralysis, but he doesn't post anymore. I wish we could offer you something to hang on to. It is early, and it may very well resolve once the inflammation and irritation of the spinal cord are reversed.

Hang in there!

Linda

Bob,

Here is a site that can help you:

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/index.php

This explains more:

http://sci.rutgers.edu/index.php?

The site is for/about SCI (Spinal Cord Injury).

I looked at the rutgers website and it's set up very similarly to braintalk, but all for spinal cord injury. There are parents posting there. One thread was specifically by and for parents, and I thought that maybe if you go there, you might find other parents to connect with who could be helpful. Here's the link to the parent thread:

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthr...t=66585&page=2

I can hardly imagine how a parent deals with this, especially early on. But what I've found with my own issues (spinal cord cyst removed in Feb), the most helpful thing was finding the patients who'd made ushering other folk through the process of dealing their raison d'etre. Two women from this forum, spinal disorders, had so much information and ability to convey it that it helped focus me on what's important and what's not, beyond what I could figure out on my own from reading literature and studies. Even from listening to the spine surgeons.

So perhaps the most important place to look for your online help would be from other parents. Also, the Reeves' Foundation site, which I posted on the peripheral neuropathy board.

I hope you find a board which can be your "home" away from home that gives you what you need. Those of us who know you from the peripheral neuropathy board are all feeling for you.

LizaJane