The surgeon inflates the tiny balloon inside the broken vertebra to restore its height and shape. They then insert a device called a balloon tamp into the needle. Depending on the nature of the fracture, a doctor may recommend kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty.ĭuring a kyphoplasty operation, the surgeon uses an X-ray as a guide while inserting a hollow needle into the fractured bone. Other nonsurgical methods for treating compression fractures include:ĭoctors reserve surgery for people with severe pain that does not go away with nonsurgical treatment. A brace works by restricting a person’s movement so that the broken vertebra can heal on its own. In some cases, doctors may recommend a brace. Some people can recover from a compression fracture with rest and limited use of pain relief medications. Treatment may be nonsurgical or surgical, depending on the severity of the injury. They may only find out that they have a compression fracture when they undergo imaging tests for another health issue. This usually worsens when a person changes positions, coughs, or sneezes, and it often improves with rest.Ī 2016 article in American Family Physician notes that over two-thirds of people with compression fractures do not have symptoms. Symptoms of a compression fracture include back pain, usually at the site of the fracture. Compression fractures can also arise due to tumors that started somewhere else in the body and traveled to the spine. Other causes of compression fractures include severe trauma, including road accidents, sports injuries, and hard falls. Osteogenesis imperfecta is another medical condition that causes the bones to weaken and may make a person more susceptible to compression fractures. Compression fractures of the spine are twice as common as broken hips and wrists among people with osteoporosis. This can cause instability and requires surgical repair.Įstimates suggest that compression fractures happen 1.5 million times yearly in the United States. In rare cases, osteoporosis compression fractures involve the vertebra’s middle or back part. The bones do not usually move out of place in compression fractures and do not usually cause problems with the nerves and spinal cord. In most cases, the front of the affected vertebra fractures and gets shorter, and the back of the vertebra stays as is. The condition weakens a person’s bones to the extent that they break more easily. Osteoporosis is the most common cause of compression fractures. Other common symptoms of compression fracture include pain when twisting or bending, loss of height, and a hunched forward position called kyphosis.Share on Pinterest Science Photo Library – MIRIAM MASLO./Getty ImagesĪ compression fracture is a bone break to the spine’s vertebrae. Though rare, if the collapsed vertebra is compressing one or more nerves, pain may radiate down the path of the nerve, such as into the arm or leg. The area around the fracture may be sensitive to touch. The first sign is often severe acute back pain that feels better with rest. Symptoms of a spinal compression fracture can vary widely. Vertebral compression fractures can occur in one or more vertebrae.Ĭommonly, the fracture results in a wedged shape vertebral body, as the bone in the front of the spine column collapses and loses height, but leaves the back of the bone unchanged. They rarely occur above the T7 level of the spine. While compression fractures can occur anywhere in the spine, they typically occur in the thoracic region, which includes the T1 through T12 vertebrae, or in the lumbar spine, the L1 through L5 vertebrae. The fracture occurs when the bone has deteriorated to the point that it can no longer support the spinal column in daily activities. Most compression fractures occur in vertebrae that have been weakened by osteoporosis or other diseases that weaken bone, such as cancer. A compression fracture is defined as a fracture that occurs because of compression of the bone in the spine.
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