Compression fracture: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Also written as: vertebral compression fracture, wedge fracture, wedge deformity, vertebral body height loss

A compression fracture means a vertebra has partly collapsed and lost height, most often because the bone is weakened by osteoporosis.

What it means

The front, block-shaped part of a vertebra (the body) carries most of the spine's weight. When bone is thin, as in osteoporosis, a minor strain such as lifting, a fall or even a cough can make it partly collapse. A strong injury can do the same to healthy bone. It often becomes wedge-shaped, lower at the front. Reports describe the height loss (mild, moderate or severe) and whether bone has pushed back toward the spinal canal (retropulsion).

When it matters

Many compression fractures are old and painless, found by chance on a chest X-ray or CT. MRI can tell a recent fracture, which shows swelling (edema) in the bone, from a healed one. Because the fracture can be a sign of osteoporosis, your doctor may suggest a bone density test. Less often, doctors check whether something other than thin bone weakened the vertebra, and MRI helps here too.

Questions to ask your doctor

Is the fracture new or old, and does MRI show swelling in the bone?
How much height is lost, and is any bone pushed toward the canal?
Should I have a bone density test because of this fracture?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.