Vertebral Compression Fractures in Osteoporotic and Pathologic Bone: A Clinical Guide to Diagnosis and Management

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common type of fracture secondary to osteoporosis. These fractures are associated with significant rates of morbidity and mortality and annual direct medical expenditures of more than $1 billion in the United States. This book presents a concise review of the diagnosis, management and treatment of vertebral compression fractures, discussing best practices for evaluation and radiographic diagnosis of vertebral compression fractures, as well as both non-operative and operative treatment options, including cement augmentation.Opening chapters discuss both normal bone physiology as well as the pathophysiology of osteoporotic bone, and the evaluation and biomechanics of VCF, both osteoporotic and pathologic. Examination, radiography and long-term sequelae of VCF are then presented. The bulk of the remainder of the book focuses on medical, non-operative and operative management strategies, including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty cement augmentation, management of spinal deformity, VCF adjacent to previous spinal fusion, and sacral insufficiency fractures. A final chapter on future treatment strategies rounds out the presentation.