INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
               Minimally Invasive Alternatives to Surgery
Vertebral Fractures
Spinal vertebral compression fractures are quite common.  In the United States alone, an estimated 700,000 spinal fractures occur each year.

This section includes information about the various symptoms, causes and complications of  spinal fracture

Interventional radiologists offer a minimally invasive treatment that can stabilize the fracture and relieve the symptoms, thus improve quality of life.

A vertebral compression fracture occurs when the bones of the spine become broken due to trauma. 

The trauma required to cause healthy bones of the spine to break is usually quite large.  In some circumstances, vertebral compression fractures can occur in people with osteoporosis and in people with cancer.  These conditions reduce the bone strength of the spine and can break them with little or no force. 

Overall, the vertebrae most commonly fractured are those in the mid and low back.

Causes of Vertebral Compression Fractures


Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where normal bone density is lost, causing bone to become porous and fragile.  The resulting abnormally porous bone is more compressible like a sponge than dense like a brick.  Bone fractures are at increased risk due to the weakened skeletal bones.  Normal bone is comprised of protein, collagen, and calcium that give it strength.  When affected by osteoporosis, the bones can fracture with relatively minor injury that would normally not cause a bone to fracture.  Osteoporosis occurs most commonly in women who have gone through menopause, but it can also occur in elderly men and people who have had long-term use of a steroid medication.
(Left) Cartoon illustration of a vertebral compression fracture.  The fracture is located in the middle vertebrae and has collapsed it.  The spinal column to the upper right is a healthy reference.

(Right) CT scan of actual compression fracture-white arrow
Pathologic Fracture

Caused from:
•Multiple Myeloma (or other cancers)
•Bone Infection or Osteomyelitis
•Diabetes
•Drug Abusers

Pathologic fracture refers to a vertebral fracture that occurs because of some preexisting disease at the site of fracture.  It is most common that this type of break is caused by cancer in the bone, which has likely traveled from other sites in the body such as the prostate, breasts, or lungs.  This type of break can also occur due to a localized infection of the bone, called osteomyelitis, which may occur in people who have diabetes or those who abuse(d) IV drugs
A: Illustration of the composition of normal bone. 
B: Illustration of the composition of an osteoporotic bone. 

Notice how less dense the osteoporotic bone is compared to the normal bone.  Osteoporosis that causes bone to look like illustration B is a disease that causes bones to become more fragile and more likely to break.
Overview
Cancer spread to spine (arrows).  Upper arrow shows compression fracture and cancer compressing spinal cord
Copyright © 2008, Joel Garris MD, FACR. All rights reserved.
Treatment