Daily Dose: Compression Fracture

A compression fracture occurs in the bones of the spine, called the vertebrae. It happens most often due to osteoporosis but can also happen with trauma or falls.  

With a compression fracture, the vertebra flattens and loses height, compressing in a pancake fashion or a wedge shape, depending on the fracture.  

It can lead to severe back pain and loss of height in people that have them. With osteoporosis, which causes the bones to be weakened, multiple compression fractures can occur. This can cause severe back pain in the spine and cause the posture to slump forward over time. 

Compression fractures can be seen on x-ray, CT scan or MRI. 

Pain medication can help during the healing phase and there is a procedure called a kyphoplasty where a type of bone cement can be injected into the broken vertebra to help restore height and help with pain. Although this procedure helps with pain, it can result in other compression fractures above and below the level of the kyphoplasty due to the harder, cemented vertebra. For those with osteoporosis, starting medication to strengthen the bones can help prevent other fractures.