Column What is a Compression Fracture? The Differences Compared to Other Types of Fracture and its Causes
December 6, 2024
Compression fractures are a type of lumbar disorder. They are particularly common in the elderly.
In this article, we will explain what compression fractures are and their causes.
What is a compression fracture?
A compression fracture (also known as a vertebral fracture) is a fracture that occurs when pressure is applied to the vertebra from the external environment. A compression fracture causes the vertebra to collapse.
The spine is made up of the cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae and sacral vertebrae. The thoracolumbar transition zone between the lumbar vertebrae and thoracic vertebrae is the area most prone to compression fractures.
In some cases, multiple compression fractures may occur. Multiple compression fractures can cause the back to slouch and the person to experience a loss of height.
The incidence of newly occurring compression fractures is reported to be 2.2% for men and 2.1% for women in their 40s, 4.9% for men and 4.5% for women in their 50s, 5.1% for men and 14.0% for women in their 60s, and 10.8% for men and 22.2% for women in their 70s. If you have had a previous compression fracture, the risk of a new vertebral fracture increases, and it is said to become 8.3% for men and 6.1% for women in their 50s, 10.0% for men and 18.0% for women in their 60s, and 12.2% for men and 22.4% for women in their 70s. *1
Compression fractures are classified into mild, moderate and severe based on the degree of decrease in vertebral height and vertebral surface area. *2
(From “Vertebral Fracture Evaluation Criteria (Revised 2012)”, Osteoporosis Japan. Vol. 21, No. 1. 2013)
*1: Noriko Yoshimura, et al. Cumulative incidence and changes in the prevalence of vertebral fractures in a rural Japanese community: a 10-year follow-up of the Miyama cohort. Archives of Osteoporosis. 2006, 1(1-2).
*2: “Vertebral Fracture Evaluation Criteria (2012 Revised Edition)” Osteoporosis Japan. Vol. 21, No. 1. 2013.
Symptoms of Compression Fractures
The main symptom of a lumbar compression fracture is severe lower back pain. When you move your body, such as when you turn over or get up, you will experience severe pain. This is one of the characteristics of a compression fracture.
It can also be said that one of the characteristics of a compression fracture is that you do not feel much pain when you are at rest.
When the collapsed vertebrae compresses the nerves, symptoms such as pain and numbness in the lower limbs may occur, and the symptoms may be similar to those of disc herniation.
Causes of Compression Fractures
The main cause of lumbar compression fractures is osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bone density decreases due to aging or lifestyle factors, making bones more likely to break. It is said that hormone balance after menopause also affects osteoporosis, and it is particularly common in women.
The main causes of compression fractures include malignant tumors, diabetes, heavy alcohol consumption, and a history of tuberculosis. All of these factors have particularly negative effect on the bones, and can lead to the development of compression fractures in men. *3
*3 : Ichiro Ohwan, “The causes of vertebral compression fractures differ between men and women,” Okinawa Red Cross Hospital Medical Journal, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2018.
When bones become brittle due to osteoporosis or the deterioration of bone quality, they can suffer compression fractures when pressure is applied from the outside environment. For example, a compression fracture can occur if you take a bad fall, when you lift something heavy, or even when you cough or sneeze.
Treatment for compression fractures
Treatment for compression fractures of the spine includes conservative treatment, in which you wear a corset or similar device and wait for the fracture to heal, and surgical treatment, in which the fractured spine is treated by surgery.
In terms of surgery, a procedure called balloon vertebroplasty is used to reshape collapsed vertebrae. In severe cases where 3 or more vertebrae are fractured, spinal fusion surgery is performed.
Effects of Compression Fractures
Compression fractures can cause bones to bend or deform.
If the back becomes slouched, the chest may be compressed, reducing lung capacity and causing shortness of breath. In addition, the stomach may also be compressed, leading to loss of appetite and internal organ diseases such as reflux esophagitis.
Compression fractures can also lead to a further decrease in bone density, making it easier to develop new compression fractures.
It has also been found that compression fractures can promote the degeneration of the intervertebral discs above and below the crushed vertebrae. *4
The intervertebral discs above and below the vertebrae with compression fractures can degenerate, causing conditions such as disc herniation and spinal canal stenosis, and can also lead to chronic lower back pain.
*4 : Yunshan Su, et al. A retrospective study evaluating the correlation between the severity of intervertebral disc injury and the anteroposterior type of thoracolumbar vertebral fractures. Clinics. 2016, 71 (6).
Treatment at our clinic
We offer the Cellgel Method, a treatment that repairs damaged intervertebral discs.
With our clinic’s Cellgel Method, a drug is injected that fills the cracked part of the intervertebral disc, and as it turns into a gel and fills the crack, it constitutes a fundamental treatment. The volume of the intervertebral discs do not decrease, and because the drug remains in the intervertebral disc as a gel-like implant after treatment, the intervertebral disc is preserved.
If you are suffering from lower back pain, please consider a consultation at our clinic.
