Spinal cord injuries occurring from vehicle collisions, violence, and recreation activities, occur at a rate of around 12,000 new cases each year, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC). Compression fractures, the collapse of bone in the vertebral body, can put pressure on the spinal cord and affect the millions of nerve fibers that impact specific bodily functions. The team at DK Global was contacted to visually demonstrate a T5 compression fracture that affected pain sensitivity, breathing, bladder and bowel control, muscle tone, bone health, and sexual function.

The video below offers an in-depth view of damage to the fifth thoracic vertebrae (T5) on a detailed 3D modeled spine. Next, a stock 3D male figure displays distinct segments of the body, color coded and labeled to display pain that radiates throughout the back, lower back, trunk and legs. This Medical Animation offers a clear and straight-forward explanation of dermatome pathways that are affected by fragments of bone that press against the spinal canal and subsequently the spinal cord, that cause a multitude of symptoms.