One of the prevalent complications of osteoporosis is vertebral compression fractures that can be painful and restrictive. If you suffer a compression fracture in Shrewsbury, Edison, or Toms River, NJ, experienced and skilled surgeons Marc MenKowitz, MD, and Steve Paragioudakis, MD, at The Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine can help.
The providers specialize in conducting minimally invasive procedures such as kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty to offer pain relief and enhance range of motion. To find out how you can benefit from the expertise at the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine, call the office or request an appointment online today.
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What Is A Compression Fracture?
A compression fracture develops once a bone breaks because it is not strong enough to support the weight it generally carries. Instead of shattering or snapping, the bone compresses and flattens. The most common are vertebral compression fractures, which sometimes occur because of traumatic injuries such as car accidents or falls.
Tumors on or in your spine can also make the bone so weak that it collapses. Nevertheless, the most common cause of vertebral compression fractures is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the condition where your bone loses density, making them brittle and weak. If you suffer advanced osteoporosis, your bones may fracture easily, even when at rest, and the vertebrae are particularly vulnerable.
What Are the Common Causes of Compression Fractures?
The primary symptoms of vertebral compression fracture are pain and spinal deformity. Once a fracture develops, you may experience neck and back pain that worsens when sneezing or coughing. When you suffer a single vertebral compression fracture, others are probable to follow, thus, increasing your pain.
If you have several vertebral compression fractures, you may experience a hunched appearance in your upper back. This condition, commonly referred to as kyphosis, occurs because most vertebral compression fractures affect the front of your bone, resulting in the vertebra becoming wedge-shaped. Repeated wedge-shaped vertebrae create a curvature at the top of your back, which is referred to as a dowager’s hump.
How to Treat Compression Fracture?
To address immediate disability and pain, the specialists at the Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine can conduct either kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty. Minimally-invasive vertebroplasty is the procedure whereby your specialist injects a special medical cement into your compression fracture utilizing imaging technology to steer the needle. The glue stabilizes and strengthens the vertebra, alleviating your back pain.
Kyphoplasty uses a similar technique to vertebroplasty but has an additional stage. Before injecting the bone cement, your specialist inflates a small balloon inside the affected vertebra, which raises the bone to a more standard height. Kyphoplasty can help alleviate the severity of kyphosis by stabilizing your spine and reducing back pain.
Besides treating your vertebral compression fracture, it’s vital to take the necessary steps to slow osteoporosis progression if that’s the cause of your condition. This might mean taking monoclonal antibody and bisphosphonates medications to strengthen your vertebrae and alleviate the risk for more compression fractures.
In conclusion, don’t let a compression fracture affect your range of motion or general life quality. If you suffer persistent back pain or develop a dowager’s hump, call the office of The Center for the Functional Restoration of the Spine or use the online booking tool to schedule a consultation today.