What are vertebral compression fractures?
Vertebral compression fractures in your spine happen when the bones can’t support the weight on them. Instead of splitting or shattering, the vertebrae flatten or compress.
Vertebral compression fractures are sometimes a result of injuries from falls or auto accidents. Occasionally, spinal tumors can weaken the bone and cause it to collapse. However, by far the most common cause of vertebral compression fractures is osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a condition that tends to develop in older age, particularly in postmenopausal women. It happens because your bones lose the density that gives them strength, so they become increasingly fragile. Advanced osteoporosis can cause your bones to fracture easily, with very little pressure.
What symptoms do vertebral compression fractures cause?
Vertebral compression fractures are likely to be painful, with the discomfort becoming more intense if you cough or sneeze.
In most cases, the front of the bone collapses. This causes your vertebrae to become wedge-shaped. Once you start getting vertebral compression fractures, you could end up with a series of them. Because each bone is wedge-shaped, they create a spinal curvature called kyphosis.
Osteoporotic kyphosis rounds and hunches the top of your back. This common symptom of advanced osteoporosis is called dowager’s hump.
What treatments can help with vertebral compression fractures?
The expert orthopedists at Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons offer several minimally invasive treatments for vertebral compression fractures:
Vertebroplasty
Vertebroplasty involves having an injection of medical cement into the affected vertebrae. The cement supports the bone and helps stabilize your spine, preventing the fractures from getting worse and helping to relieve your back pain.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty also involves having an injection of bone cement. However, before this, your provider inflates a small balloon inside your vertebra to raise the compressed side to a more regular height.
The Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons team uses sophisticated image guidance to ensure that the procedure goes smoothly with both these treatments.
If you have osteoporosis, you can help slow the rate of bone density loss by taking calcium and vitamin D supplements. Your provider might also recommend bisphosphonates and monoclonal antibody medications to help strengthen your bones and lower your risk of suffering more vertebral compression fractures.
If you’re suffering from the pain of vertebral compression fractures, call Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons, LLP today or book an appointment online.
