A compression fracture is a collapse of a vertebra. It may be due to trauma or due to a weakening of the vertebra (compare with burst fracture). This weakening is seen in patients with osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta, Bone tumor lesions from Metastasis or , or infection. In healthy patients, it is most often seen in individuals suffering extreme vertical shocks, such as ejecting from an ejection seat. Seen in lateral views in plain x-ray films, compression fractures of the spine characteristically appear as wedge deformities, with greater loss of height anteriorly than posteriorly and intact pedicles in the anteroposterior view.
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Conservative treatment
- Back brace for support while the bone heals—either a Jewett brace for relatively stable and mild injuries, or a thoracic lumbar sacral orthosis (TLSO) for more severe ones.
- Opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain. For osteoporosis patients, calcitonin may be helpful.
Surgical
- Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are minimally invasive procedures that inject cement into the bone of the back that is fractured. However, the data examining the effectiveness of these procedures is mixed.
Further reading
|
|
