Potholes can give you a bad back

City doctors say spine-related problems are on the rise because of damaged roads

The number of cases of patients suffering from vertebral body compression fractures (VBCF) are on the rise due to the damaged roads and potholes, say orthopaedic surgeons in the city.

Dr Rajesh Dharia, consulting orthopaedic surgeon with Breach Candy, Saifee and Cumballa Hill Hospital, says he receives at least one patient with VBCF every two days. “This usually happens in elderly people who have osteoporosis. A sudden jerk in a rickshaw or a bus, crushes the spine and leads to a round back deformity, and severe pain in the back,” said Dr Dharia.

An orthopedic surgeon at JJ Hospital said, “The cases are high only among senior citizens. This happens usually with bus travellers occupying backseats. The poor shock-up action of the vehicle puts pressure on the back.”

The commonly affected parts are the spine, hip, knee and the shoulder. A large number of spine patients narrate to their doctors incidents that were precipitated while travelling on pothole-ridden roads.

When Nitin Gadekar travelled in a rickshaw in Bandra, a sudden jerk caused a crack in his vertebrae and he suffered from VBCF.

“I’m on medication but potholes have damaged my car now. The rubber tyres burn out
easily than expected. The car has an axil that can break out and cause serious accidents,” said Gadekar.

For Khar resident Anand Thakoor, his back problem worsens at night every time he takes an auto the market. “I even had a fall due to potholes and injured my back recently,” said Thakoor.

Pramod Sinha developed severe back problems after riding his bike on potholed roads.
For bus travellers shoulders are the commonly affected part, as they hang onto bus straps while standing. “The sudden jerks can give rotator cuff tendonitis or in extreme cases a rotator cuff tear which require surgical intervention,” said Dharia.

Surgeons point out that pedestrians who walk over potholes are not spared either. The uneven roads lead to abnormal weight transmission along the joints of the entire body and leads to rapid degeneration and osteoarthritis.

Dharia said if the BMC fails to cement potholes, orthopaedic surgeons have to cement fractured vertebrae. “Many times, we have to use bone cement, a procedure called vertebro-plasty to ease the pain in VBCF. It is easier to cement the roads than create a situation where surgeons have to cement the joints and bones of patients,” he said.