A compression fracture happens when a vertebra in the spine collapses or partially caves in.
Common symptoms include sudden back pain, pain that is worse when standing or walking, tenderness over the spine, reduced height, and sometimes a more stooped posture.
Imaging helps confirm the fracture, show which vertebra is involved, assess severity, and help doctors decide whether it looks recent, older, osteoporotic, or related to another disease.
X-rays, CT, and MRI help show the level involved, the severity, and whether the fracture is new, old, benign, or suspicious.
Treatment may include pain control, bracing, osteoporosis treatment, vertebral augmentation, or surgery depending on the case.
This entry explains the finding. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
