Neurotrauma: Head, Spine Cord and Peripheral Nerve Injury

Neurotrauma is a head, spinal cord or peripheral nerve injury caused by a sudden event. Accidents involving vehicles, bikes, sports, violence (such as gun shots) or falls usually cause these types of injuries. In these cases, rapid diagnosis and treatment are key to healing and recovery—seconds could mean the difference between life, death, permanent damage or paralysis.

As the only designated Level II Trauma Center in Northern Nevada, Renown has a team of specialists on hand to provide Neurotrauma care 24/7. From surgery to recovery, our Neurotrauma team is dedicated to improving our patients' quality of life using the newest technologies and therapies. With a wide range of subspecialists consulting and neurosurgeons on call to provide immediate intervention, our team provides rapid assessment, diagnoses and treatment to get you on the path to recovery.

Neurotrauma Treatments & Services

Head Trauma

Head trauma is a broad term that describes a vast number of injuries that occur to the scalp, skull, brain, and underlying tissue and blood vessels in the head. The injury can be as mild as a bump, bruise (contusion), or cut on the head. Or it can be moderate to severe in nature due to a concussion, deep cut or open wound, fractured skull, or internal bleeding and damage to the brain.

We treat the following types of head trauma:

  • Acute subdural hematoma
  • Blunt cerebrovascular injury
  • Cerebrospinal fluid leaks
  • Concussion
  • Craniofacial trauma
  • Depressed skull fracture
  • Epidural hematoma
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Mild TBI (traumatic brain injury)
  • Moderate TBI (traumatic brain injury)
  • Penetrating brain injury (such as gunshot, stab wound)
  • Severe TBI (traumatic brain injury)
  • Seizures
  • Subacute and chronic subdural hematoma
  • Traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage/brain contusion
  • Traumatic intraventricular hemorrhage
  • Traumatic pseudoaneurysm
  • Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage

Spine Trauma

Spine trauma is any damage to the spinal cord and spinal column, or the bones surrounding the spinal cord, caused by an injury. The spinal cord contains nerves that carry messages between the brain and the body, so damage can cause permanent changes in bodily functions.

We treat the following types of spine trauma:
  • Traumatic spondylolisthesis
  • Vertebral Burst fracture
  • Compression fracture
  • Craniocervical spine injury
  • Distraction injury
  • Fracture-dislocation
  • Hangman’s (C2) fracture
  • Hyperextension injury
  • Hyperflexion injury
  • Jefferson (C1) fracture
  • Lumbosacral spine injury
  • Odontoid (dens) fracture
  • Penetrating spine injury (such as gunshot, stab wound)
  • Perched/jumped facets
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Spinal ligamentous injury
  • Thoracic spine injury
  • Traumatic central cord syndrome
  • Traumatic intervertebral disc herniation
  • Traumatic pars defect (spondylolysis)

Neurotrauma Diagnosis

The full extent of the problem may not be completely understood immediately after the injury, but may be revealed with a comprehensive medical evaluation and diagnostic testing. Diagnosis of neurotrauma is made through an evaluation of your neurological symptoms and diagnostic imaging tests, such as a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.