Treatment
Most compression fractures are found in elderly patients with osteoporosis. These fractures generally do not cause injury to the spinal cord. In these patients, the osteoporosis is treated with prescription medications and calcium supplements.
Otherwise, the pain from these fractures is treated with pain medicines and bed rest at first. Narcotics are often needed. Some health care providers recommend back braces, but these may further weaken the bones and increase your risk of developing more fractures in the future.
Patients may benefit from some physical therapy to help with movement and building up muscle strength around the spine.
Surgery is rarely considered. However, if 2 months or more of bed rest, pain medicines, and physical therapy cannot relieve the back pain, surgery can be option. Two minimally invasive techniques are available:
- Balloon kyphoplasty: A large needle is inserted into the compressed vertebra. A balloon is inserted into the bone through the needle and inflated, restoring the height of the vertebra. Cement is injected into this space to make sure it does not collapse again. This procedure is generally done under general anesthesia.
- Vertebroplasty: This is a similar procedure in which cement is injected into the bone of the vertebra. This procedure is done under local anesthesia and sedation.
If the fracture is caused by a tumor, a piece of the bone may need to be surgically removed and examined under a microscope (biopsy). Then the tumor is treated.
Fractures from trauma often require a brace for 6 – 10 weeks to protect the bone as it heals. If there is bone in the spinal canal, you may need surgery to remove the bone and fuse the vertebrae together to stabilize the spine.
Surgery is almost always necessary if there is any loss of function because of bone pressing on the spinal cord or spinal nerves.
Prognosis (Expectations)
Most compression fractures from trauma will heal in 8 – 10 weeks with rest, bracing, and pain medications. Recovery time will be many weeks longer if surgery is necessary.
Fractures due to osteoprosis usually become less painful with rest and pain medications, but some can cause chronic pain and disability.
While medications to treat osteoporosis can help prevent future fractures, the collapse of the vertebrae that has already occurred cannot be reversed.
For compression fractures caused by tumors, the outcome depends on the type of tumor involved. Some common tumors that involve the spine include:
- Breast cancer
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Prostate cancer
Complications
- Failure of the bones to fuse (if surgery is necessary)
- Hunchback (kyphosis)
- Spinal cord or nerve root compression
Calling Your Health Care Provider
Call your health care provider if you have back pain and suspect you may have a compression fracture.
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Compression fractures of the back : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Compression fractures of the back : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Compression fractures of the back : Treatment
Review Date : 11/30/2009
Reviewed By : 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 Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery.
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