The coccyx is located at the base of the spine, under the sacrum. It is the last section of the ape vertebral column. Most commonly in humans it comprises 3 to 5 fused (or, more rarely, separate) vertebrae, and is approximately 4 to 10 cm in length. The coccyx is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, called the sacrococcygeal symphysis, allowing for some (but little) movement.
If the coccyx fracture is severe enough, short-term hospitalisation may be required, although this is extremely rare. More often, self-care at home is administered.
Sitting on soft surfaces is recommended, as this reduces pressure on the coccyx. A 'donut' or 'wedge' cushion may be purchased – these are simply cushions with a hole in them to ensure that no weight is placed in the injured tailbone. Painkillers such as ibuprofen are also recommended, as is a diet high in fibre to soften stools and avoid constipation.
Doctors will not usually attempt to correct a bad alignment, as muscles in the area are powerful and can pull the bone back into the 'bad' position. The bone is also very difficult to immobilise simply due to the sheer number of muscles attached to it, as well as the position.
Surgeryedit
Following a coccyx fracture, surgery is not usually required. However, if the pain continues even after the fracture has healed, and is severe enough to cause serious disability, surgical removal of the coccyx (coccygectomy) may be required.[medical citation needed]
coccyx, fracture, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, august, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Coccyx fracture news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message A coccyx fracture is a fracture of the coccyx commonly called a broken tailbone or puzzle fracture Coccyx fractureLateral radiograph showing a fracture of the coccyx as well as a lower lumbar fractureSpecialtyOrthopedic The coccyx is located at the base of the spine under the sacrum It is the last section of the ape vertebral column Most commonly in humans it comprises 3 to 5 fused or more rarely separate vertebrae and is approximately 4 to 10 cm in length The coccyx is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint called the sacrococcygeal symphysis allowing for some but little movement Anatomical diagram of a healthy coccyx Contents 1 Causes 2 Risk factors 3 Diagnosis 4 Treatment 4 1 Surgery 5 See also 6 ReferencesCauses editCauses of coccyx fracture can vary greatly but are most commonly confined to falls into the seated position or childbirth Risk factors editThe following risk factors have been identified for coccyx fracture Lack of reduced muscle mass Advanced age Osteoporosis Being of the female sex due to the wider pelvis typically found in females Violence Symptoms of coccyx fracture include Pain that increases in severity when sitting or getting up from a chair or when experiencing bowel movement Provoked pain over the tailbone Nausea Bruising or swelling in the tailbone areaDiagnosis editThe standard workup of a suspected coccyx fracture includes medical history and a physical examination including a rectal examination 1 X ray has no quantifiable clinical impact 2 and is regarded as a waste of resources and unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation 3 Treatment editIf the coccyx fracture is severe enough short term hospitalisation may be required although this is extremely rare More often self care at home is administered Sitting on soft surfaces is recommended as this reduces pressure on the coccyx A donut or wedge cushion may be purchased these are simply cushions with a hole in them to ensure that no weight is placed in the injured tailbone Painkillers such as ibuprofen are also recommended as is a diet high in fibre to soften stools and avoid constipation Doctors will not usually attempt to correct a bad alignment as muscles in the area are powerful and can pull the bone back into the bad position The bone is also very difficult to immobilise simply due to the sheer number of muscles attached to it as well as the position Surgery edit Following a coccyx fracture surgery is not usually required However if the pain continues even after the fracture has healed and is severe enough to cause serious disability surgical removal of the coccyx coccygectomy may be required medical citation needed See also editSacral fracture rarer References edit coccyx fracture GPnotebook Retrieved 2019 07 02 Hanna Tarek N Sadiq Mahniya Ditkofsky Noah Benayoun Marc Datir Abhijit Rohatgi Saurabh Khosa Faisal 2016 Sacrum and Coccyx Radiographs Have Limited Clinical Impact in the Emergency Department American Journal of Roentgenology 206 4 681 686 doi 10 2214 AJR 15 15095 ISSN 0361 803X PMID 26867062 Henry Knipe Coccygeal fracture Radiopaedia Retrieved 2019 07 02 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Coccyx fracture amp oldid 1196137889, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
