Compression Fracture Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Compression fractures are vertebral breaks. Spinal fractures may occur due to aging or osteoporosis. Over time, vertebral fractures deform or compress the spine. Management of compression fracture encompasses rest, pharmacological interventions, orthotic support, and minimally invasive surgical procedures.

What Defines a Compression Fracture?

A compression fracture is a fracture of the vertebra. The spine consists of a series of stacked vertebrae. Your spine bears your weight, facilitates movement, and safeguards your spinal cord and nerves. Compression fractures spine result in the collapse of vertebrae, leading to their reduction in height. Bone fragments may exert pressure on the spinal cord and nerves during collapse. The spinal cord receives diminished blood and oxygen supply. 

What are the Three Compression Fracture Types?

There are several types of spinal compression fractures.

• Wedge: Front vertebra fracture. Broken bone collapses into a wedge. Over fifty percent of compression fractures exhibit a wedge configuration.

• Crush: The vertebra breaks completely. Self-collapsed bone.

• Burst: Broken bones spread in multiple directions when they burst. A serious break requires immediate medical attention. 

What Causes Compression Fractures?

Pressure on your spine's vertebrae can cause them to break and collapse. Common compression fracture causes include:

• Osteoporosis: Exiting a vehicle, sneezing, coughing, or twisting can lead to significant osteoporotic fractures. weakens bones. Weak bones break more easily. 

• Injury or accident: Falls, car accidents, and other physical trauma are examples.

• Cancer: Tumors can weaken vertebrae and break bones in the spine.

How is a Compression Fracture Treated?

If osteoporosis caused your compression fracture, your doctor will treat it. Your pain doctor in Dallas may prescribe bone-strengthening medication and calcium and vitamin D supplements. Physical therapy and exercise may be advised as a spinal fracture treatment. These strengthen bones and prevent fractures.

Different treatments include:

• Relieving back pain medication

• Short-term bed rest. Your bones may heal with limited activity.

• Physical therapy is the best back fracture treatment that improves mobility and strengthens the muscles in the spine. 

• If alternative therapies prove ineffective, various surgical interventions may be required especially for lumbar fracture treatment.

• Vertebroplasty: The surgeon injects rapid-setting cement into the broken vertebra using a fine needle under X-ray visualization. 

The cement strengthens, supports, and relieves pain from the broken vertebra.

• Kyphoplasty: This surgery resembles vertebroplasty. Before injecting cement, small balloons expand the fractured space to raise the vertebra. Removal of balloons. The empty space is filled with cement.

• Cancerous tumors may require radiation therapy and surgery to remove bone and treat the tumor. Injury-related compression fracture treatment includes surgery to repair bone and joint vertebrae. A procedure called fusion.

Symptoms of Compression Fractures 

An unexpected compression fracture can occur. This may result in intense back discomfort. Discomfort typically manifests in the mid or lower spinal region.  It can be felt on the sides or front of the spine. The pain is often "knife-like." Pain can last weeks to months and be debilitating. Osteoporosis compression fractures may initially be symptomless. Spinal x-rays for other reasons often reveal them. Over time, these symptoms may appear:

• Slow-onset back pain that worsens with walking but not at rest

• Reduction in height of up to 6 inches (15 cm)

• Kyphosis, or dowager's hump, is stooped posture.

• Hunchback posture can occasionally cause spinal cord compression:

• Numbness

• Tingling

• Weakness

• Trouble walking

• Bowel or bladder control loss

Outlook

Most injury-related compression fractures heal in 8–10 weeks with rest, bracing, and painkillers. However, surgery can prolong recovery. Height loss and a bent back are consequences. Rest and painkillers reduce osteoporosis fracture pain. Some fractures cause chronic pain and disability. Medicines for osteoporosis can prevent fractures. Drugs cannot repair past damage. The outcome of tumor-induced compression fractures depends on the tumor type. Spinal tumors:

• Breast cancer

• Cancer of the lung

• Lymphoma

• Prostate cancer

• Multiple myeloma

• Hemangioma

How are Compression Fractures Diagnosed?

• A physical examination will assist your physician of Dallas pain clinic in diagnosing a compression fracture.  During the exam, your provider checks your spine alignment, height, and posture. Use gentle pressure to locate the compression fracture in back . Checks for nerve damage symptoms like numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness.

• Your pain physicians in Dallas will propose imaging testing for the bones, muscles, and soft tissues of your back. Imaging investigations comprise a spine X-ray, CT scan, or MRI to identify fractures and other lesions. 

• DEXA scans measure bone loss.

• Myelogram, an imaging test and procedure used by pain management in Dallas to diagnose compression fracture.

• Your physician administers contrast dye into your spinal column prior to a CT scan or X-ray. Dye enhances image sharpness.

• A three-phase bone scan involves capturing three sets of images across three separate appointments. 

Can Compression Fractures be Prevented?

You can't prevent all compression fracture causes.

• Common causes include osteoporosis. To mitigate the risk of osteoporosis-related compression fractures, safeguard yourself from injuries and accidents by eliminating tripping hazards and using a seatbelt.

• Strengthen your bones with balanced meals and vitamin D and calcium.

• Stop smoking and using tobacco products because nicotine weakens bones.

• Those at risk of osteoporosis should see their back pain doctor in Dallas regularly and take their medications to slow bone loss.

Conclusion