Torsion Injuries

• Disc-related pain - Torsion injuries:

  • rotation beyond the normal axis which can also strain the facet joints
  • can also result in additional lateral shears
  • combination of torsion and lateral shear can result in tears in the outer annulus
  • risk of torsion injury of a disc is greatest when rotation occurs in flexion as this takes collagen fibres beyond normal limits
  • torsion most likely in posterior lateral corner, where fibres are the weakest within a torsion injury
  • damage is limited within the disc, therefore they dont often present with neurology
  • similar timeline to ligament sprain injury