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2 replies [Last post]
March 30, 2009 - 8:00am
Anonymous
T8 wedge fracture

My nine year old son suffered a T8 wedge fracture due to a skiing accident. The consulting pediatric orthopedist did not put him in a brace, and cleared him for a 3 hour flight the next day, which my son tolerated without much pain. He's ambulatory, can sit for long periods of time and can walk up and down stairs, but only with assistance.

What sort of recovery time can we expect from this type of injury? Will there be longer lasting symptoms or can this type of injury completely heal?

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March 30, 2009 - 10:52am
#1
Wrambler
Wrambler's picture
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Joined: 01/21/2009
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Second opinion!

I'd get a second opinion. I had wedge or endplate fractures and was placed in a brace for 12 weeks.
There was someone on here a few weeks back that had these type fractures that was not placed in a brace and they did not heal.
Due to his age he may heal perfectly fine with no brace at all, but I would feel better with a second opinion if it was my son.

Healing time? He is young, and I expect he will heal well and quickly with no ill effects, there is no magic wand though. I was told 12 weeks minimum for my brace when I fractured T3-4-5. I ended up in the brace for 15 weeks due to scheduling issues with my treating doctor. I threatened to take if off at 12 weeks, but my wife offered up that she would kill me if I did so Big Grin so I did not.

Welcome to the forums, please if you have any more questions just ask!

_____________

"I have been told my statement or statements are not logical. Would Mr. Spock ride a bicycle down a wooded mountainside when there was a perfectly good stationary bike at home?" NOTICE: Please consult a real DOCTOR before doing anything that may hurt yourself or others! Please be careful!Medtronic SCS Placed May 4, 2009. Cervical, for chronic right shoulder, upper arm pain.

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April 26, 2009 - 7:00pm
#2
saamsonite
User offline. Last seen 1 year 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 04/25/2009
Posts: 21
Points: 42
T8 fx

I had a wedge compression fracture from skiing when I was 15 and I did not even know it for 4 weeks! I had an appt with my Orthopedic surgeon about my knee and told him that my back hurt after a big fall. He took precautionary X-rays and, low and behold, it was a fracture. I did not wear a brace, he just told me to not ski or play soccer for another 4 weeks. It was quite uncomfortable to sit for long periods and laying flat on a hard surface helped immensely! Exactly 4 weeks after, I was cleared to play high school varsity soccer and had a little pain, but was totally fine.

If you want more assurance, which is never a bad thing, I would ask the doc to order him an MRI and a CT scan; that way they can check on the disc and nerves, not just the bone.

Hope this helps and best of luck

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Mar. 2008- T3-T9 spinal fusion; broke 5 vertebrae: 3 compression fractures, 2 burst fractures, 6 ribs, shattered right ankle and tore lateral ligaments (ski race accident)
Apr. 2009- T2-T10 spinal fusion, first fusion failed
May 2009- Ankle surgery: Chrisman-Snook Lateral Ligament Reconstruction and hardware removal.

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