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Ency. home > Disease > C > Compression fractures of the back

Compression fractures of the back   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Vertebral compression fractures

Symptoms

  • Back pain with sudden or chronic onset
  • Shortened height
  • Kyphosis (hunchback)
Note: There may be no symptoms.

Signs and Tests

Physical examination may show kyphosis. There is also tenderness over the injured vertebrae.

A spine X-ray showsa compressed vertebra that is shorter than the other vertrebrae.

If there is no history of significant trauma, then a bone density test needs to be done to evaluate for osteoporosis.

If there is concern that the fracture was caused by a tumor eating and weakening the bone, a CT or MRI scan is necessary to get a better look at the bone. Also, if the fracture was caused by high energy trauma (fall from a height, car accident) then a CT scan is needed to see if there are bone fragments pressing on the spinal cord.

Ency. home > Disease > C > Compression fractures of the back

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