Symptoms & Signs
Compression fractures may cause no symptoms and only be discovered when x-rays of the spine are done for other reasons. Over time, the following symptoms may occur:
- Back pain with chronic or gradual onset
- Loss of height, as much as 6 inches over time
- Stooped over posture or kyphosis, also called a “dowager’s hump”
Compression fractures may also occur suddenly, causing severe back pain that is:
- Most commonly felt in mid to lower part of the spine, but may also be felt on the sides or in the front.
- Described as “knifelike” and usually disabling, often taking weeks to months to go away
Pressure on the spinal cord from kyphosis may rarely produce symptoms of:
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness
- Difficulty walking
- Loss of control of the bowel or bladder
Diagnosis & Tests
- Physical examination may show hunchback (kyphosis). There is also tenderness over the injured vertebrae.
- A spine x-ray shows at least one compressed vertebra that is shorter than the other vertebrae.
Other tests that may be done:
- A bone density test to evaluate for osteoporosis
- A CT or MRI scan if there is concern that the fracture was caused by a tumor, or if the fracture was caused by high-energy trauma (such as a fall from a height or car accident)
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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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