Abstract
Vertebral compression fractures are the most common complication of osteoporosis,
with 700,000 cases reported every year in the United States. Vertebral compression
fractures typically present with abrupt-onset low back pain with or without a history
of trauma, although more than two-thirds are detected incidentally. Diagnosis is confirmed
using plain radiographs, while computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging
may be required to evaluate for a malignant cause or if there are neurological deficits
on examination. Magnetic resonance imaging is also the modality of choice to determine
if the fracture is acute vs chronic in nature. Patients can be managed with a combination
of nonsurgical modalities including medications, bracing, and physical therapy, although
when indicated, kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty may be considered to provide symptom
relief.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 17, 2022
Footnotes
Funding: There are no sources of funding for this study.
Conflicts of Interest: DA, GA, and CLM have nothing to disclose. BB receives royalties from Thieme. EK receives consulting fees from Seaspine and Spineart. AHD receives consulting fees from Stryker, Orthofix, Spineart, and EOS, research support from Southern Spine, and Fellowship support from Orthofix.
Authorship: All authors had access to the data and a role in writing the manuscript. DA: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Project administration; GA: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft, review, & editing, Visualization; CLM: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft, review, & editing, Visualization; BB: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision; EK: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision; AHD: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision.
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
