Vertebral Wedging: What You Should Know

What Is Vertebral Wedging?

You get vertebral wedging when the front of a vertebra collapses. People with osteoporosis typically have this fracture. From 1 to 1.5 million spinal compression fractures occur annually in the U.S. Nearly half of these occur in adults over 80. A collapsed vertebra causes a compression fracture. Three compression fracture types exist:

Wedge fractures: When one vertebra collapses, wedge fractures form. Fractures frequently occur in the front vertebra.
Crush fracture: The whole vertebra collapses.
Burst fracture: The vertebra breaks in several directions. They're the worst compression fractures.

A wedge fracture is the most frequent spinal fracture type. Spinal stabilization surgery may be needed, although conservative treatment is usually enough.

Fractures generally occur in the front vertebrae. Osteoporosis causes compression fractures in elderly persons. Women get osteoporosis four times more often than males, and compression fractures happen most often in the center of the back.

What Symptoms And Effects On Your Body Will You Experience?

Compression fractures may produce acute back discomfort. Pain may start abruptly and become persistent, worsen when walking or standing, or worsen while lying on your back. Your spine may develop kyphosis, causing hunching, height loss, and impairment.

Developing osteoporotic vertebral fractures increases fracture risk. A prior compression fracture increases the risk of subsequent fractures by four times. People with osteoporotic vertebral fractures have a threefold increased risk of pulmonary problems.

What Causes Vertebral Wedging?

Compression fractures frequently result from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bone mineral density to decrease. It seldom causes symptoms until a bone breaks.

Many years may pass without osteoporosis-producing problems. Sneezing or getting out of the shower might cause a fracture if your bone strength is impaired.

About half of the compression fractures in younger individuals result from motor vehicle accidents, and 25 percent from falls.

How Is Vertebral Wedging Diagnosed?

Your medical history and physical exam may help your doctor diagnose you. Imaging testing may confirm vertebral injury. Tests may include:

X-rays
CT scans
MRI scans
DEXA scans to measure your bone density

Is This Related To Conditions Like Osteoporosis?

Compression fractures are a common sign of osteoporosis. Most fractures related to osteoporosis occur in the hip and spine. The following may raise your risk of osteoporosis:

being older
being female
having smaller bone structure
being white or Asian
having a family history of osteoporosis
consuming a diet low in calcium and vitamin D
having inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis
taking certain medications, such as steroids

How Do You Treat Vertebral Wedging?

Surgery or conservative treatment may treat compression fractures. Conservative treatment is often used due to the modest chance of problems after surgery. Conservative therapy options are:

Treatments for pain include NSAIDs, Tylenol, and opioids.
Bed rest
Use spinal bracing to restrict mobility.
To enhance mobility and function, physical therapy and drugs like bisphosphonates may minimize bone loss and prevent future fractures.
nasal calcitonin spray reduced pain

Many patients find pain alleviation within six to 12 weeks with these therapies. The surgical alternatives include vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. These operations inject cement into your bone to stabilize it. Your doctor may suggest surgery if:

A fracture that's caused considerable discomfort for at least two weeks and isn't responding to conservative therapy
Your fracture is linked to malignancy, such as multiple myeloma.
You have a benign tumor called hemangioma.
You have vertebral osteonecrosis, which is bone tissue death from blood supply loss, and need surgery to stabilize your fragile vertebral body.

When To Seek Care

If you suspect a wedge fracture, visit a doctor immediately. They may help you diagnose and treat vertebra fractures. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) advises evaluating back discomfort if: