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Vertebral Compression Fracture (cont.)

Vertebral Compression Fracture Causes

  • Osteoporosis

    • This is a condition in which bone density is reduced, which may predispose a person to a vertebral compression fracture with little or no trauma.

    • Osteoporosis most commonly occurs in women who have gone through 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

    • This term refers to 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.

    • The break may also occur because of a localized infection of the bone, called osteomyelitis, which may occur in people with diabetes or in those who abuse IV drugs.



Next: Vertebral Compression Fracture Symptoms »

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