Our 82-year old father just had a vertebral compression fracture diagnosed as the cause of his back pain. What can we expect will happen now?
Many vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are never diagnosed. The person doesn't even know it's happened until an X-ray shows the healed fracture at a later time. But for those patients with back pain, VCFs are usually treated nonsurgically.
Pain relievers are prescribed along with a wait-and-heal approach. This takes about six to eight weeks. It may take longer in patients who smoke, drink alcohol, or who are in poor health otherwise.
Some patients can benefit from an exercise program or bracing to help them keep an upright posture. If conservative measures don't help, then surgery may be considered. Usually the surgeon waits until at least eight weeks after the fracture before suggesting a vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty procedure.
In these operations, a long, thin needle is inserted into the bone. Cement is delivered to the vertebral body through the needle. Once the cement hardens, the bone has increased strength. If your father has osteoporosis (likely at age 82), he may be at risk for future VCFs.
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