Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects both men and women. Millions of people around the world have it or are at greater risk of getting it.
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A healthy bone has microscopic gaps on the inside like a honeycomb. Osteoporosis enlarges these gaps, causing the bone to deteriorate in strength and density. Furthermore, the exterior of the bone becomes thinner and weaker.
This condition can strike anyone at any age, but it is more common in the elderly, particularly women. Osteoporosis makes people more prone to fractures, especially in the spine, known as vertebral compression fractures.
Early diagnosis and treatment can be of great help as they prevent further compression and irreversible change in the spine. You can consult Dr. Mohana Rao Patibandla, one of the best neurosurgeons in Guntur, at Dr. Rao’s Hospital for advanced surgical intervention.
What are the symptoms of spine fractures?
A compression fracture can result in back or neck pain as well as loss of height. It is a fracture in one of your neck or back vertebrae that is so weak that it breaks under normal spinal pressure.
The fracture can cause symptoms such as:
- Severe sudden back pain
- Have problems in twisting or bending your body
- Pain that increases when you walk or stand
- Curved shape spine
- There is far more significant pain and discomfort in moving if the fracture is in the lower spine
What are the causes of osteoporosis?
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Osteoporosis is a natural aging process in which our bones weaken as we get older. The vertebrae in the spine might narrow and flatten due to it. This can result in a hump or rounded back in older adults giving them a bent forward look.
The weaker vertebrae are particularly vulnerable to fracture. When too much pressure is applied to a weak vertebra, its front cracks and loses height, resulting in a vertebral compression fracture. They are most commonly caused by falls. However, persons with osteoporosis can sustain a fracture just by coughing, twisting, or sneezing.
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
Your doctor will evaluate your medical history and do a physical exam to determine if you have osteoporosis. They may also conduct blood and urine tests to look for disorders that could cause bone loss. Tests to check the levels of calcium and vitamin D are also included.
To determine whether you have a spine fracture, your doctor will recommend an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan to examine your bones more closely.
Further, he will ask you to undergo a bone density test called bone densitometry, or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
Treatment for vertebral compression fracture
1. Nonsurgical treatment
Most of the people with a spinal compression fracture recover within three months without needing to have the fracture fixed. Simple measures, such as a brief period of rest and the use of pain medications, when necessary, are all that is required. The doctor may ask the patients to wear a brace to limit their movement and allow the spinal compression fracture to heal.
The doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes and prescribe calcium, Vitamin D, bisphosphonates, and anabolic bone drugs.
2. Surgical Treatment
Surgery may be recommended if you have significant pain that does not respond to nonsurgical treatment. Patients with recent spinal compression fractures are the best candidates for surgery. Your doctor will discuss which operation is best for you based on the type of spinal compression fracture you have.
Dr. Rao’s Hospital is one of the best neurology hospitals in Guntur, where you are offered advanced minimally invasive vertebral augmentation procedures.
3. Kyphoplasty
During this procedure, the surgeon inserts a balloon tamp into the fractured vertebra. The balloon is then inflated, which helps in the restoration of the vertebra’s height and shape. The small cavity is left behind by the device that the doctor fills with special bone cement.
4. Vertebroplasty
Here, the surgeon directly injects the bone cement into the narrowed vertebra to keep it stable. It helps to alleviate discomfort and help avoid additional vertebral fractures and a bent spine.
5. Cemented augmented fenestrated screws
In patients with low bone quality due to osteoporosis, fenestrated screws for cement augmentation provided effective and long-lasting outcomes.
They are used for spine stabilization in the elderly, allowing for rapid functional recovery in fractures and deformities.
It also overcomes the problem of screws loosening in individuals with inadequate bone stock due to osteoporosis and causing morbidity.
Contact Dr. Mohana Rao Patibandla, one of the best neurosurgeons in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, for superior treatment options for spinal compression fractures due to osteoporosis.