Compression fractures of the thoracic spine can occur due to osteoporosis or trauma and result in decreased vertebral height. Some compression fractures occur because the vertebrae are weakened due to the presence of a tumor. Osteoporosis is a condition of decreased bone mineral density that weakens the structure of the verterbra. Anterior flexion forces more commonly cause these fractures, but lateral flexion forces can also cause these fractures, according to "Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics."
Type A
Type A compression fractures involve fractures of both the superior and inferior endplate of the anterior vertebral body according to "Skeletal Trauma." These fractures account for approximately 16 percent of all thoracic vertebrae compression fractures.
Type B
Type B compression fractures of the thoracic spine involve fracture of only the superior end plate. These are the most common type of thoracic compression fracture. They account for 62 to 63 percent of thoracic compression fractures according to the textbooks "Skeletal Trauma" and the "Handbook of Fractures."
Type C
Type C compression fractures only involve the inferior endplate. They account for only 6 percent of compression fractures, according to the "Handbook of Fractures."
Type D
Type D compression fractures involve the anterior vertebral body, but both endplates are intact. The bone cortex of the anterior vertebrae buckles, according to the textbook "Skeletal Trauma," resulting in a loss of vertebral height. Approximately 15 percent of compression fractures have both endplates of the vertebrae intact.
References
- "AAOS Comprehensive Orthopaedic Review"; Dr. Jay Lieberman; 2008.
- "Handbook of Fractures"; Dr. Kenneth Egol, Dr. Kenneth Koval, Dr. Joseph Zuckerman; 2010.
- "Skeletal Trauma"; Dr. Bruce Browner, Dr. Jesse Jupiter, Dr. Alan Levine; Dr. Peter Trafton, Dr. Christian Krettek (eds.); 2009.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Fractures of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine
- MedlinePlus: Compression fractures of the back
- "Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics": Compression Fractures
