What are the sequelae of coccygeal fracture?

The coccyx, you must know it. Children nowadays are becoming more and more naughty, or more and more lively and active. There are almost no children who can be obedient like before. Of course, there are obedient children too, but nowadays children have more and more choices when it comes to playing, so adults must not be distracted. Otherwise, it would be bad for children to fall and bump into things, especially if they hit their coccyx. Of course, it is not just children who should be careful. Adults, especially the elderly, should also be more careful. Any accidents would be bad.

The coccyx is located below the sacrum, which is the tail-most part of the spine. It is the last piece of the spine. If you feel along the spine all the way down, it is the last piece. Its proximal end is connected to the sacrum by fibrocartilage, and the range of motion of this joint is generally greater in women than in men, especially during pregnancy. The coccyx itself has the coccygeal ligament, gluteus magnus, coccygeal muscles, anal sphincter and levator ani muscles attached to it. In men, the coccyx is located higher than the ischial tuberosity, providing better protection when hit. On the contrary, in women, due to the relatively flat pelvic cavity, the coccyx is relatively easy to be bruised when falling.

There are four coccyx vertebrae. In an adult, the four coccyx vertebrae are fused into one coccyx. In fact, the coccyx is just a very small bone, about the size of a thumb nail. The sacrococcygeal joint is just a micro-motion joint. It is actually difficult to see clearly on the film which vertebra is fractured. Functionally, the coccyx is not important. Fractures are mostly caused by sudden landing on the buttocks, followed by pain in the sacrum and coccyx. Most of them do not require special treatment because its functional significance is not great, and it is difficult to maintain reduction after manual fixation. Even after Kirschner wire fixation, it is difficult to maintain reduction because of the traction of the iliococcygeus and coccygeus muscles. Therefore, the treatment is mostly for analgesia and promoting bone growth. There is almost no need to worry about sequelae, but it should be noted that some patients may suffer rectal rupture due to fracture injuries, resulting in open fractures and anal bleeding.

As long as the coccyx fracture is not particularly displaced and causes discomfort during defecation, there are generally no major sequelae. However, in outpatient clinics, we often see some patients with local discomfort symptoms that last for a long time. Even if there is no fracture and it is only a local soft tissue contusion, it will last for at least 3 months. A patent coccyx fracture is mainly a compression fracture and can usually be recovered through rest and proper maintenance without leaving any sequelae. Local soreness and pain are also normal. If it is a severe comminuted fracture, it is easy to cause bone non-healing, bone necrosis, osteoarthritis, peripheral fasciitis, bone spurs and other problems. This also varies from person to person, and not everyone will cause the above sequelae at the same time.

Therefore, you must be more careful to avoid accidents. If an accident occurs, please go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible. Especially the coccyx fracture. As the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. Don't think you'll be fine once you're discharged from the hospital. In fact, you need to go home and recuperate slowly. Therefore, if any sequelae occur, it is best to tell the doctor as soon as possible.