MANAGEMENT OF OSTEOPOROTIC VERTEBRAL FRACTURES

Abstract

The spine is the most common site of osteoporotic fractures.Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are a growing public health problem with important socio-economic effects in westerncountries. The pathophysiology of osteoporotic compression fractures is different from those occurring secondary to traumatic spinal injury. Throughout life, our skeleton loses old bone and forms new bone.Children and teenagers form new bone faster than they lose the old bone.In fact, even after they stop growing taller, young people continue to make more bone than they lose. This means their bones get denser and denser until they reach what experts call peak bone mass. Osteoporosis is often called the "silent" disease, because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People often do not know they have the disease until bone breaks, frequently in a minor fall that would not normally cause a fracture. Many people confuse osteoporosis with arthritis and believe they can wait for symptoms such as swelling and joint pain to occur before seeing a doctor. It should be stressed that the mechanisms that cause arthritis are entirely different from those in osteoporosis, which usually becomes quite advanced before its symptoms appear.