What Are Compression Fractures of the Spine?
Compression fracture of the spine occurs when the drum-shaped bones in the spine weaken and collapse.
The bone is often weekend by osteoporosis, cancer, or other diseases and compresses into a wedge shape.
Treatment Options
Treatment options may include:
- Braces
- Bone cement injections
- Normal activities (e.g. walking)
- Pain relievers
- Physical therapy
- Surgery
- Vertebroplasty
Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Sudden, sharp pain
- Slow developing pain
- Mild pain
- Severe pain
- Dull pain
- Pain worsens when standing, walking, bending, or sitting for long periods of time.
- People may become shorter.
- The back becomes rounded (Kyphosis).
Diagnosis / Tests
Facts about compression fractures:
Diagnostic tests include:
- Computed Tomography (CT)
- Kyphoplasty
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Physical exam and evaluation
- Tomography
- X-ray
Types of Compression Fractures of the Spine
Wedge fracture – Most common compression fracture
- Front of vertebra collapses while the back of it remains intact, creating your weight shape
- Can lead to a spinal deformity (hunchback)
Crush fracture
- Fracture throughout the entire vertebra
- Bone collapses on itself
- Mechanically stable
Burst fracture
- Breaks in several directions
- Sends bone fragments into surrounding areas of spine
- Most serious (unstable)
- Requires immediate medical attention
Causes
Causes & contributing factors may include:
- Osteoporosis
- Metastatic disease
- Cancer
Facts
Facts about compression fractures:
- Common in elderly people with osteoporosis.
- Can result from little or no force.
- 2 out of every 3 people with osteoporosis-related compression fractures have no symptoms.
- Pain starts to decrease after 1 month and can disappear after 3 months.
- Osteoporosis is most common in elderly women.
- Walking standing, or sitting for long periods of time aggravates pain in people with osteoporosis-related compression fractures.
