A Dutch professional trampolinist narrowly escaped paralysis after a horror training accident left him with a broken back.
Footage shared on TikTok and Instagram by @flips.by_Siard shows the agonizing moment his back ‘bent’ when he hit the trampoline ahead of schedule.
But the athlete, who has thousands of followers on social media, miraculously did not suffer a permanent injury to his spinal cord.
Instead, he escaped with a fractured vertebra, which often heals naturally, and to the surprise of fans, he has already recovered by training again.
in a separate Instagram video From an American neurosurgeon, known only as Dr. Z, the doctor warned that such injuries could lead to ruptured blood vessels or even complete paralysis.
Footage shared on TikTok and Instagram by @flips.by_Siard shows the agonizing moment his back ‘bent’ when he hit the trampoline ahead of schedule.
In a separate Instagram video by an American neurosurgeon, known only as Dr. Z, the doctor warned that such injuries could lead to ruptured blood vessels or even complete paralysis.
He told his more than 200,000 Instagram followers: “He’s gaining a lot of height.” They are professionals who have been doing this for several years.
But there is always the risk of injuries like this.
‘What happened in this situation is something called a hyperextension injury.
‘It looks like it almost folded in half. “This is the type of injury that could potentially lead to a spinal cord injury.”
Studies show that about two-thirds of people with a spinal cord injury will experience some type of paralysis as a result.
But Dr. Z added: “Turns out he broke his back and didn’t damage his spinal cord.”
“He fractured his vertebrae without damaging his spinal cord.”
A vertebral fracture is a break in one of the bones of the spine.
In most people, spinal fractures heal without complications and do not require any specific intervention, according to the NHS.
However, “not everyone can get away with an injury like this,” Dr. Z warned.
‘If a fracture is severe enough, it can result in something called an epidural hematoma, where blood compresses the spinal cord.
‘I might need surgery to decompress that cord.
“It could also destabilize the spine, resulting in the need for a spinal fusion in which we permanently place screws and metal rods in the back.”
The condition, spinal epidural hematoma, is triggered when a blood vessel ruptures, causing blood to leak into the epidural space (a space between the spinal cord and the bones of the spine) and form a clot.
This then puts pressure on the spine, causing problems with transmitting signals to the rest of the body.
Initially, patients face sudden neck or back pain, which then progresses to near or total paralysis of the legs or arms, depending on where the clot is.
In most people, spinal fractures heal without complications and do not require any specific intervention, according to the NHS. However, “not everyone can get away with an injury like this,” Dr. Z warned.
Doctors treat spinal epidural hematoma with surgery to remove the clot and restore normal spinal function.
However, if they do not act quickly, patients can suffer a stroke, when the blood supply to the spinal cord is cut off, causing cells to begin to die.
This causes permanent damage.
The cause of this condition is not known, although it can be caused by trauma, an underlying condition, or even lifting weights that are too heavy at the gym.
But doctors have long stressed that it is extremely rare: less than one person in a million suffers from it annually.
The fractures, meanwhile, They are most common in the spine, as the composition of the bones here, with a thin outer layer and a spongy interior, makes them more vulnerable to bone loss.
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the NHS’s spending watchdog, around 600 Britons suffer acute traumatic spinal cord injuries each year.
Approximately five times as many people will suffer a spinal fracture or dislocation.
