CONCEPT MAP
Vertebral compression Fractures
Vertebral compression fractures in the health space are the most familiar sequelae of osteoporosis. A massive number of vertebral fractures usually go unnoticed, and it is only a third of vertebral fractures clinically diagnosed.
Vertebral fractures are commonly related to age increase and occurrences of osteoporosis. Bone mass of the vertebral column reduces gradually with age, with a considerable number of older women who coincidentally lose half of their axial bone mass when they are their eighties.
The danger of developing a vertebral fracture stoutly links with decreasing bone thickness, with the threat increasing around two times. Relatively the bones structure begins to decline when an individual hits 40 years and more common in women with postmenopausal. On top of it, the type of lifestyle we are associated with or the environment we are in increases chances of getting osteoporosis. These include the absence of an exercise schedule and low body mass index cumulated with the use of smoke and excessive alcohol consumption. On rare occasions, vertebral compression fractures can be caused by an underlying medical condition such as hyperparathyroidism.
It is projected that a third of cases of postmenopausal vertebral compression fractures affect women who do not match for osteoporosis. Additionally, the likely hood of developing a vertebral fracture is nearly five times superior if the patient suffered an initial fracture with women to be most vulnerable. They’re also at risk of developing other complications such as hip fractures making it very important for early diagnosis for treatment and medication.
Treatment
Pain control
Subsequent assessment and diagnosis of a vertebral compression fracture, an individual ought to go through the therapy which is aimed at regulating the pain that limits the chances of prolonged bed rest and allows you to move around. When the pain is too much to bear, the next step involves a patient having neuropathic pain agents (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain medication, intercostal nerve blocks, and transcutaneous nerve stimulation. NSAIDs are the most common drugs since they contain liitle side effects.
Preventative medicine
Another form of treatment includes medical therapy is a substitute that seeks to improve the patient’s bone quality and to reduce the likelihood of a fracture occurring in the future. Agents used in the treatment of include; bisphosphonates and calcitonin
These agents usually operate under antiresorptive or osteogenic apparatus. Bisphosphonate alendronate is a medicine that is recommended for reducing fracture risk and is safe for use.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy involves doing exercises that will assist a patient in moving around and reduce the risk of further injuries. The practice in place is supposed to serve two of the following purposes, which is:
- Strengthen the patient’s supportive axial musculature, specifically the spinal extensors.
- Training the patient’s proprioceptive reflexes to progress pose and ambulation and reduce the possibility of future falls
Bracing
Bracing is usually used in the indicative organization of vertebral fractures. Its downside to that is some randomized controlled trials that seek to study bracing relied on acute, traumatic burst fractures. At the same time, there exists a small compromise on its applicability, for instance, in osteoporotic compression fractures. One probable randomized trial that was carried for a period of time use of a thoracolumbar orthoses brace for osteoporotic compression fractures discovered that in the truck muscle, height and posture of persons being treated eventually having a better quality of life and is able to carry out daily routine activities.
Surgical treatment
Indications and contraindications
Though there is no clear timeline when a patient should and can recover the estimated timeframe is estimated at six weeks. If a patient continues to suffer the same pain or has an indication of fracture development, consideration ought to be considered in performing a vertebral augmentation procedure.
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are slightly invasive, percutaneous procedures and are delivered by surgeons in who have specialized in the spine field and specialists who deal with the management of pain arising from osteoporotic or oncologic fractures
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