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Symptoms of fractures in the
spinal column range from slight pain to paralysis and even death.
Fractures most commonly occur through trauma, pathology or osteoporosis.
Among women ages 50 to 79, 20% have one or more prevalent vertebral
fractures typically as a result of osteoporosis. This type of fracture is
called a compression fracture in which the body of the spinal bone
collapses causing a loss of height and worsening posture (i.e. Dowager’s
hump). These fractures, which mostly occur in the thoracic or mid-spine,
may present as only mild pain to intense pain. Due to the architecture of
the thoracic spine, the neural canal (opening for nerves) is smallest in
this area, thereby subjecting its contents (the spinal cord and nerve
roots) to damage when a vertebra is either fractured or misaligned. It is
important to note that when a spinal bone fractures it inevitably has some
degree of subluxation (or misalignment) associated with it. Traumatic
spinal fractures are often devastating to an individual and costly to
society. There are approximately 10,000 new cases of spinal cord injury
each year costing approximately $4 billion annually. Spinal fractures that
are not unstable and do not cause significant neurologic deficit can lead
to problems later in life if the injury is not properly rehabilitated.
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Spinal
Fracture