Spine injuries & surgery

The spine is the core mechanical structure of the body which everything else is attached to. It behaves like a hollow, bony, link-chain connecting the control centre to the body's levers. Biomechanically it is the most complex "joint" in the body.

Medical attendances for back pain are very common, accounting for more than any other musculoskeletal area. Sporting injuries are also very common: the vast majority of these are self-limiting soft tissue injuries however.

Serious injuries like fracture dislocations are uncommon but can be devastating. These need to be recognised immediately and treated appropriately. Injuries which do not respond to treatment within an expected time frame require further evaluation. A good example of this is low back pain in adolescent and young adult sportsmen/women who should have a spondylolytic defect excluded.

Tony Reece is a consultant spinal surgeon with a very large experience of specific sports pathologies and general spinal conditions who will assess and advise on the best investigatory and treatment options.