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Compression fractures of the back - Overview

Alternative Names

Vertebral compression fractures

Definition of Compression fractures of the back:

Compression fractures of the back are broken vertebrae, which are the bones of the spine.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

In a compression fracture of the vertebra, the vertebral bone collapses. More than one vertebra may be affected. This condition may be caused by:

Osteoporosis (the most common cause),
Trauma to the back
Tumors that started in the bone or spread to the bone from elsewhere

Multiple fractures may lead to kyphosis, a hump-like curvature of the spine.

$Compression fracture$

Compression fracture

Reviewed last on: 12/1/2010
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

References

Klazen CA, Lohle PN, de Vries J, et al. Vertebroplasty versus conservative treatment in acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (Vertos II): an open-label randomised trial. Lancet. 2010 Sep 25;376(9746):1085-92.

Wardlaw D, Cummings SR, Van Meirhaeghe J, et al. Efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty compared with non-surgical care for vertebral compression fracture (FREE): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2009;373(9668):1016-24.

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