Vertebral Compression Fracture

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Medical Author:

Andrew Jenis, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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• Vertebral Compression Fracture Overview
• Vertebral Compression Fracture Causes
• Vertebral Compression Fracture Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Medications
• Surgery
• Other Therapy
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Viewer Comments: Vertebral Compression Fracture - Treatment

A vertebral compression fracture occurs when the bones of the spine become compressed due to trauma. Usually the trauma necessary to break the bones of the spine is quite substantial. In certain circumstances, such as in elderly people and in people with cancer, these same bones can be fragile and can break with little or no force. The vertebrae most commonly broken are those in the lower back, but they may break in any portion of the spine.

Vertebral compression fractures can be caused by osteoporosis, trauma, and diseases affecting bone (pathologic fracture).

• Osteoporosis
• Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which bone density is reduced, which may increase the chance that a person could sustain a vertebral compression fracture with little or no trauma.
• Osteoporosis most commonly occurs in women who have completed menopause, but it can also occur in elderly men and in people who have had long-term use of a steroid medication such as prednisone.
• Trauma: Injury severe enough to cause a vertebra to break can occur with a fall from a tall height in which the person lands on his or her feet or buttocks. It can also occur in a person involved in a car accident.
• Pathologic fracture
• Pathologic fracture is a fracture occurring in the vertebra due to preexisting disease at the fracture site.
• Most commonly, this type of break is from cancer in the bone, which has often traveled from other sites in the body, such as from the prostate, breast, or lungs.
• Pathologic fracture can also occur with other diseases, such as Paget's disease of bone and infection of bone (osteomyelitis).

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