When you think of a bone fracture, it’s perhaps easiest to picture a bone breaking like a stick under pressure. While long bones can break in that fashion, other fractures don’t fit the analogy.
Fractures of the spine often take the form of compression fractures, where a vertebra collapses rather than snaps. Compression fractures of the spine are common in patients with advanced osteoporosis.
The spine specialists at Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic use various approaches to treating osteoporosis-related spine symptoms. Request a consultation today at one of our Jacksonville, Florida, locations.
While bone tissue may seem rigid and solid, like much of your other body tissue, it’s constantly in a state of regeneration, with older bone replaced with new bone tissue. However, as you get older, the regeneration rate slows compared to the rate of tissue loss.
Your body accommodates this by changing the way new bone forms. While the surface of bone remains fundamentally the same, the interior structure becomes increasingly bubbly, resembling sponge toffee in cross-section.
The more that osteoporosis progresses, the larger these internal bubbles grow. The structural strength of vertebrae becomes significantly compromised, and the risk of compression fractures climbs.
The shape of vertebrae changes when compression fractures occur. A fracture is considered stable if the affected bone remains in its normal location or unstable if pieces of bone move beyond the usual boundary of the vertebral structure.
Most spinal compression fractures adopt a wedge shape when the front edge of a vertebra collapses. When the entire structure collapses, it’s considered a crush fracture.
The most serious compression fracture form is a burst, in which bone fragments scatter in more than one direction. Burst fractures are the most common unstable compression fractures and require immediate medical attention.
Depending on their severity level, wedge and crush fractures may not cause immediate symptoms. A compression fracture can get worse over time and with the advancement of osteoporosis.
Back pain at the location of the fracture is the most typical symptom. Pain may get worse with movement, while being relieved by lying down or resting. You may notice local pain when you cough or sneeze.
Depending on the conditions around the affected vertebrae, you could experience radiating pain following the path of a compressed nerve due to the fracture.
While pain is usually the dominant symptom, you may also experience mobility limitations or sensations like numbness or tingling. Muscle weakness or spasms are also possible.
Contact Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic whenever back pain interferes with your daily routine. Call or click to schedule your visit now.
