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Trauma da coluna toracolombar

Last reviewed: 11 Sep 2025
Last updated: 21 Jan 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presença de fatores de risco
  • história de trauma mecânico
  • história médica pregressa de osteoporose ou neoplasia
  • dorsalgia
  • hematomas
  • dormência aguda/parestesia
  • fraqueza
  • espasticidade/clônus (hipertonicidade) ou hipotonia muscular
  • hiper-reflexia ou hiporreflexia
  • sinal de Hoffman
  • sinal de Babinski positivo
  • deformidade espinhal
  • perda do reflexo do esfíncter anal
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • ausência de reflexo bulbocavernoso (S3-S4)
  • sinais de choque medular (hipotonia ou flacidez que remite em até 24 horas)
  • incontinência urinária
  • retenção urinária indolor
Full details

Risk factors

  • queda de uma altura
  • mecanismo de lesão de alta energia
  • idade >65 anos
  • osteoporose concomitante
  • fratura vertebral prévia
  • lesão neoplásica subjacente
  • distúrbios metabólicos ou inflamatórios subjacentes
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • TC com multidetectores (TCMD) da coluna vertebral sem contraste
Full details

Tests to consider

  • radiografia da coluna toracolombar (imagens anteroposterior e lateral)
  • RNM da coluna vertebral
  • mielotomografia
  • RNM com sequência STIR (short-tau inversion recovery - recuperação de inversão com tau curto)
  • TC do corpo inteiro
Full details

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

no local: possíveis lesões da coluna vertebral

ACUTE

fratura osteoporótica

fratura não osteoporótica

Contributors

Authors

Besnik Nurboja, BSc, MBBS, MD (Res), MRCS, FRCEM

Consultant in Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine

Epsom and St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust

London

UK

Declarações

BN declares that he has no competing interests.

David Choi, FRCS(SN)
David Choi

Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon

The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

London

UK

Declarações

DC declares that he has no competing interests.

Revisores

Byron F. Stephens, MD, MSCI

Associate Professor

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Nashville

TN

Disclosures

BFS has received Institutional Research Support from Nuvasive and Stryker.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Wendt K, Nau C, Jug M, et al. ESTES recommendation on thoracolumbar spine fractures: January 2023. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2024 Aug;50(4):1261-75.Full text

American College of Surgeons. Best practices guidelines. Spine injury. Mar 2022 [internet publication].Full text

American College of Radiology. ACR appropriateness criteria: acute spinal trauma. 2024 [internet publication].Full text

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Spinal injury: assessment and initial management. Feb 2016 [internet publication].Full text

O'Toole JE, Kaiser MG, Anderson PA, et al. Congress of Neurological Surgeons systematic review and evidence-based guidelines on the evaluation and treatment of patients with thoracolumbar spine trauma: executive summary. Neurosurgery. 2019 Jan 1;84(1):2-6.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
  • Trauma da coluna toracolombar images
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  • Guidelines

    • Clinical guidance for the effective identification of vertebral fractures
    • Spinal injury: assessment and initial management
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  • Patient information

    Osteoporose: o que é?

    Osteoartrose: o que é?

    More Patient information
  • Calculators

    Escala de coma de Glasgow

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