Compression fractures usually result from physical injury to the spine, and fractures the vertebral body and can injure the spinal cord or nerves. Vertebral bodies can also be weakened due to osteoporosis with less trauma.
Symptoms include the sudden onset of pain following the trauma, but in more severe cases, the patient can have weakness, numbness, or paralysis. This usually follows a trauma that creates an axial, downward force through the spine. However, with weaker bone, the trauma can be minimal. The most common area for a fracture to occur is in the mid or low back.
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