Symptoms of Transverse Process FracturesĪn individual who has experienced a transverse process fracture commonly describes symptoms of back pain immediately after a direct blow or a contraction. The three most common mechanisms of injury recorded with professional elite level rugby athletes included: direct impact from a knee, which causes fractures to the L2 and 元 transverse processes found in the lumbar spine, without causing other forms of injury a strong blow to the upper chest/arm area from the side, which generally causes a player to contract their muscles, including the quadratus lumborum, resulting in an avulsion to the 元 transverse processes of the lumbar spine and last, an individual falling heavily onto their side and landing on another player, was described to cause fractures to the L2 transverse processes of the lumbar spine as well as the 11th and 12th ribs on the same side. Finally, repetitive microtrauma as a result of constant and repetitive motions in certain sports and physical activities may also cause fractures, for example, as with cricket fast bowlers. Furthermore, a muscle avulsion where it pulls off the transverse process can occur during a muscle contraction while in a forward bend, rotating posture or with strong lateral flexion movements, for instance, during rugby, MMA and judo. Also, depending on the extent of trauma, multiple transverse processes can be fractured at the same time. In addition, because damage to the transverse processes usually involve high velocity forces, surrounding organs may also be affected. Automobile accidents can also cause injury to these important structures. The transverse processes can become fractured through direct trauma or injury from contact sports or due to direct impact from falls off heights or from motorcycles. As a matter of fact, alterations which only occur during puberty may create abnormalities associated with the size and shape of these and fractures along these may occur in teenagers and young adults. Small ligaments and proprioceptive muscles known as the intertransversi and the rotatores can be found between each transverse process, functioning as minor position sensors which allow the muscles to feel sensation during the movements of the spine. Because many muscles insert onto these specific transverse process, the length and shape of these is much bigger than those found along the cervical and thoracic spine. In the lumbar spine, the transverse processes function as a base for the attachment of many of the trunk muscles which surround it, such as the quadratus lumborum, the middle layer of the thoracolumbar fascia, which is an indirect attachment point for the internal oblique and the transverse abdominus, the psoas major and the longissimus thoracis. These articulations are essential towards the function of the ribs during breathing and movement. The transverse processes located within the cervical spine are unique from the others in which they contain small holes to provide the passing of the vertebral arteries that extend from the subclavian artery to the brain, granting protection to this fundamental artery.Īlong the thoracic spine, the unique function of the transverse process is to provide a point of attachment for the ribs through the structure known as the costotransverse joint. Within the cervical spine, the transverse processes function as points of attachment for a variety of muscles surrounding the region, such as the suboccipital muscles, the scalenes and the levator scapulae as well as several ligaments which connect to these to help support the spine. Each transverse process functions minimally different in each region of the spine. The transverse processes can be found along the vertebrae of the three distinct areas of the spine: the cervical vertebrae the thoracic vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: New PUSH 24/7®? Fitness CenterĮvery vertebra of the spine is shaped with a pair of bony protrusions, wing-like in appearance, from each side, best referred to as the transverse processes, which function as an insertion point for muscles and ligaments.Symptoms of Transverse Process Fractures.InBody 770 Body Composition (Anthropometric Testing).Clinical Assessment: (Body Composition Analysis)
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