Spine Fractures

Spinal fractures are cracks or breaks in the vertebrae along your spine. They can happen anywhere along the spine, from the base of your neck down to your lower back. Depending on their placement and severity, spinal fractures may be referred to as “stable” or “unstable.”

Unstable spine fractures are usually discovered quickly and are considered a medical emergency. In contrast, up to 40% of stable vertebral fractures are found by chance, with no symptoms at all.¹ Patients with spine fractures may experience symptoms like:

Pain near the break, which can be chronic or appear suddenly
Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
Limb weakness
A loss of spinal height
Abnormal curvature of the spine (a “hunchback”) called kyphosis

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What Causes Spine Fractures?

Some spinal fractures are caused by trauma, such as a car accident or sports injury. Others, like compression fractures and sacral insufficiency fractures (SIFs) are typically caused by osteoporosis, a condition that affects bone strength. Over time, weakening of the bones can cause them to develop cracks known as “stress fractures”.

Osteoporosis is more common in seniors and women, as well as those with a family history of the condition. The spine can also be weakened by smoking, alcohol abuse, vitamin D deficiency, and other degenerative diseases like cancer.

Treatment Options for Spine Fractures

Patients with unstable fractures are at risk for additional injury to the vertebrae or spinal cord, and are usually taken immediately to the operating room for surgery. Patients with stable spine fractures have a few options when it comes to treatment.

Conservative Treatment

If you have a minor stress fracture that can heal on its own, your doctor may recommend “conservative” treatment. They may prescribe pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve discomfort during the healing process. Injections such as nerve blockers can be applied to the area around the fracture to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

Physical therapy can help patients regain or improve strength in the muscles around the spine. This aids with stability during healing, and can help prevent future injury. You may also be given a back brace for extra support as your back heals.

Spine Surgery

In addition to patients with unstable spine fractures, surgery is also used to treat stable fractures that haven’t responded to conservative measures. Surgical options include spinal fusion (fixation), the removal of damaged vertebrae (corpectomy), or the placement of rods, screws, or other materials to support the spine. Spinal surgery is a complex undertaking and has a risk of serious complications like bleeding, infection, and nerve injury.

Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation

There are two types of percutaneous vertebral augmentation: vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Both of these minimally invasive procedures use FDA-approved “bone cement” to reinforce fractured bones and make sure the vertebrae are in the correct position. They can be performed in an outpatient setting by an interventional radiologist, have low complication rates, and provide pain relief in as little as 24-48 hours.²

To learn more about minimally invasive options for spine fractures, please visit our percutaneous vertebral augmentation treatment page.

Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty