What are Common Orthopedic Surgeries After a Car Accident?
Violent physical trauma that results from your vehicle hitting another or striking an object can leave you injured in many ways. How you’re injured and how severely depends on several issues, but they all have in common the fact you should get medical attention as soon as possible after your collision. Your recovery may include orthopedic surgery.
It may be your best option if you completely or partially break a bone. If you suffer that type of injury, you may also have internal bleeding, or your organs may be impacted, so different surgeries may be required.
When Should I See a Doctor After My Accident?
After the accident, if you’re not able to drive or don’t feel comfortable driving, ask for an ambulance. You don’t want to be in one accident and cause another on your way to the nearest hospital.
Because of the shock of the accident and your injuries, you may have so much adrenaline in your system that you feel no or limited pain due to your injuries. If you continue your day as usual, you may worsen injuries you can’t feel. A complete exam may uncover injuries you didn’t know you have.
This medical exam will also be the best documentation of your injuries if done soon after your accident. The longer you wait, the greater the risk the insurance company will blame your injuries on something that happened after the accident.
The earlier you’re examined, the faster your injuries are diagnosed, and the sooner you can get treatment and back to normal. That treatment may include surgery.
What Kind of Orthopedic Surgery Might I Need?
That depends on what’s injured and how severely. These bone breaks won’t heal on their own, or if they do, it may cause complications and problems later on. Alexander Orthopaedic Associates in Florida lists the following procedures as commonly performed after vehicle accident:
1. Neck Surgery
Your neck may be the focus of the crash’s force because seatbelts restrain so much of your body (though airbags may help if you’re seated in the front of the vehicle). If you’re struck on the side of your car, your neck may snap left and right. Pain may be felt immediately or take days to manifest.
Some neck surgery procedures you may need include the following:
- Spinal fusion surgery: Vertebrae are the bones in your spine. This type of surgery connects them with a metal rod
- Microdiscectomy: Spongy discs are between your vertebrae. If one herniates, bulges, or slips, part of it can be removed during this surgery
- Kyphoplasty: A balloon-type device makes some space, then a special cement is injected into a damaged vertebra to restore its height and relieve pain
An accident may worsen an existing neck condition, which may require surgery to treat.
2. Surgery for Fractured and Broken Bones
You could break your arm, ribs, or hip. Recovery time and surgeries vary greatly depending on the bone involved. You may partially break a bone in an accident without realizing it, so be aware of pain or discomfort while sitting, standing, getting in and out of bed or your car, while breathing or coughing, or shifting positions.
3. Back Surgery
Common spinal injuries in accidents are herniated discs, sprains, spondylolisthesis (vertebrae displacement), fractures, and long-term degenerative disorders like sciatica (nerve pain from an injury or irritation to your sciatic nerve) and bone spurs (growths from the edge of bones, in this case, vertebrae).
These injuries may result in pain radiating to other body parts, so any pain felt after an accident should be immediately examined. You may also experience:
- Muscle spasms
- Tingling or numbness
- Burning pain
- Stiffness
- Discomfort when changing positions
If untreated, your back injury may cause long-term chronic pain or paralysis.
4. Foot and Ankle Surgery
Unless it’s obvious, you may not think these parts of your body could be injured in an accident. But an accident’s sudden force and impact often pushes your body forward. Your feet and ankles absorb this weight shift’s energy to protect your body. Each foot has 26 bones, joints, muscles, and tendons. Depending on the force of the accident and your foot’s position at the time of the accident, they could be severely injured and need surgery to recover.
Fractures are the most common foot and ankle injuries in auto accidents. They range from a tiny crack in a bone to a clean break. Ligament and tendon ruptures, dislocations, and ankle sprains may also occur.
Surgery may be needed for the most complex or severe injuries. You may have nerve compression, which may be treated with peripheral nerve surgery or decompression. If your ankle is immovable, it may need to be replaced.
Speak To a Kentucky Car Accident Attorney Today
If you’re injured in a vehicle accident caused by another’s negligence or intentional act, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages due to time away from work and pain and suffering caused by the injury and medical treatment.
Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyers will put in the work to make your case as successful as possible. If you’re severely injured in a Kentucky accident, we are your boots on the ground. Call Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, to talk to a skilled personal injury attorney today. Call our Louisville office toll-free at 855-385-9532 or complete our contact form to get started.