Patient Care for a Spinal Compression Fracture

Spinal compression fracture is the term used to describe breaks in the bones of the back (vertebrae) caused by abnormal weakness of the bone structure. Common sources of this type of fracture include osteoporosis, direct spinal injury and the spread of cancer cells (metastasis) to the spinal vertebrae. A number of treatment options are available to help patients cope with the effects of compression fracture.

Understanding Spinal Compression Fractures

• According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, spinal compression fracture may affect one or more of your vertebrae. Symptoms of spinal compression can include sudden (acute) or long-term (chronic) back pain and a loss of height. You may also suffer from a compression fracture without any obvious external signs.

  If you have multiple compression fractures, you may develop a stooped posture that creates a significant forward curvature in your back. This condition, known as kyphosis, can lead to severe movement restrictions, as well as complications including sleeping difficulties and potentially fatal restrictions to your lungs. If kyphosis puts pressure on your spinal cord, you may also experience weakness, tingling and numbness.

Conservative Treatment Options

• If you suffer from spinal compression fractures, your doctor will likely begin treatment with conservative options such as bed rest, use of a back brace and pain medications to control your discomfort. If your doctor recommends extended bed rest, you run the risk of complications that include bed sores, loss of bone density, urinary-tract infection and pneumonia. If a back brace---or orthosis---is prescribed, your doctor will use it to support your back and keep you from bending it forward. Typically, this requires keeping your back in an artificially hyper-extended or straightened position.

  If your pain is relatively minor, your doctor may recommend treatment with an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication. If your pain is more severe, he may prescribe temporary use of a stronger opioid pain reliever such as codeine.

Addressing Underlying Causes

• If your condition is the result of osteoporosis, your doctor may treat this underlying condition with medications, calcium supplements and other methods. If your fractures are potentially related to a cancerous tumor, you may undergo a biopsy, in which a sample of your bone is removed and examined for cancerous changes. If the fractures are the result of a direct injury, the doctor may choose to place you in a brace until your bones heal.

Surgery

• You may require surgery if more conservative treatments are ineffective, or if your fractures present serious risk of damage to your spinal cord. Common procedures include a vertebroplasty, which involves the use of surgical cement to stabilize your affected vertebrae. You may also undergo a procedure called a kyphoplasty, which uses a special balloon to expand your compressed vertebrae before a vertebroplasty is performed.