Compression Fracture

What is a compression fracture?

A vertebral compression fracture occurs when a backbone collapses. This usually occurs because it is weakened by osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become thin, weak, and easily fractured. Cracks can appear in the bones of the spine (vertebrae). This can lead to back pain, changes in the shape of the back (such as hunching or stooping), and loss of height.

Often, there is no obvious injury that causes the compression fracture.

Symptoms

Pain from a vertebral compression fracture varies depending on where and how extreme the fracture is. It can be a dull or sharp pain that starts slowly, usually in the lower back, and may spread to the stomach.

Vertebral compression fractures are often found not because you have pain, but because you become shorter, often because of aging or osteoporosis.

Treatment

A spinal fracture can be evaluated with special X-rays called bone density tests. Once diagnosed, it may be treated with pain and bone medication, heat or ice therapy, or a back brace. In many cases, medical cement injection procedures are used to fix fractures.