How Do I Treat a Coccyx Fracture?

Fractures and dislocations of the tail are more common than fractures of the sacrum, especially in women. They are often encountered in life and sports accidents. The degree of pain is generally tolerable, with obvious direct or indirect tenderness, and severe cases can affect stool excretion. Patients often don't like sitting because of tail pain, and even refuse to sit. They are willing to stay in bed sideways.

Basic Information

Visiting department

orthopedics

Multiple groups

female

Common causes

When sitting on the ground, a hard object directly hits the ground

Common symptoms

Local congestion, pain in the tail

Causes of coccyx fractures and dislocations

When sitting on the ground, a hard object directly hits the ground.

Clinical manifestations of coccyx fracture and dislocation

Local congestion

Most of the early post-injury is not obvious, only seen in those who directly affected the local violence; but a few days after the injury is clearly visible.

2. Digital anal examination

In addition to direct tenderness, severe indirect tenderness and tension pain may occur when the tail end is touched. This is of great help in diagnosis, especially early after injury, and is used to determine whether it is a fresh fracture.

Coccyx fracture and dislocation examination

Both the front and side positions need to be filmed to determine the condition and extent of the injury. X-ray films with deformities and dislocations without clinical symptoms are mostly congenital malformations or old injuries, and generally do not require diagnosis.

Diagnosis of coccyx fracture and dislocation

Make a diagnosis based on clinical manifestations and related tests.

Coccyx Fracture and Dislocation Treatment

Non-surgical therapy

(1) After bed rest for 3 to 5 days in the acute phase , get out of bed gradually, and cushion or sponge pad when sitting. For patients with fracture displacement, manual reduction was performed through digital anal examination under local anesthesia (sliding up and down, and pressurization to keep the distal end in place), and repeated again after 3 days. It is often difficult to obtain an ideal reduction due to the traction effect of the perianal levator muscle.

(2) Physical therapy, sitz bath and other therapies are available in the chronic phase , and pay attention not to be stressed locally. In severe cases, sacral canal closure therapy is available once a week, and 3 to 4 times is a course of treatment. For those who are stubborn, coccyctomy can be performed as appropriate.

2. Surgery

Mainly for coccyx resection.