Get the facts
Get the facts: Vertebral compression fractures
Understand what's causing your pain
What is a vertebral compression fracture (VCF)?
Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) affect more than 700,000 individuals in the U.S. every year.1 And if you’re one of those individuals, you should feel empowered knowing that you have options beyond opioids, bracing and bed rest.
A VCF occurs when the bone tissue of the vertebral body collapses. This is commonly caused by osteoporosis (loss of bone density). VCFs may also be attributed to trauma, tumors and infection.2
Why is treatment important?
Many patients and their families see back pain as an unavoidable consequence of aging. It’s the reason approximately two-thirds of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) go undiagnosed,6,7 but being proactive is your best approach.
If your VCF is left untreated, you could face long-term complications known as the downward spiral.8 Untreated VCFs carry a risk of adjacent level fractures (i.e. fractures in the vertebrae directly above and below the one that is already fractured), so it is important that VCFs are diagnosed and treated early.9
Don’t just manage the pain. Restore your body.
The spine is one of the largest weight-bearing joints in the body. Therefore, restoring the spine to its proper alignment is vitally important. Spine fractures are associated with increased mortality,10 reduced lung function,11 chronic pain and impaired quality of life.12,13 Talk to your doctor about vertebral augmentation and reclaim the quality of life you deserve.
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The information presented is for educational purposes only. Stryker is not dispensing medical advice. Please speak to your doctor to decide what course of treatment is right for you. Only your doctor can make the medical judgment regarding which products and treatment is right for you. Any medical procedure carries certain risks and your doctor will explain all possible complications and/or side effects. Not all patients will experience the same results.
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- American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (2021). Vertebral compression fracture. Retrieved from: https://www.aans.org.en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Vertebral-Compression-Fractures.
- Alexandru D and So W et al. Evaluation and management of vertebral compression fractures. The Permanente Journal. 2012;16(4):46-51.
- Old J and Calvert M. Vertebral compression fractures in the elderly. American Family Physician. 2004; 69(1):111-116
- Boden S. (2013, May). When back pain is a spine compression fracture. Retrieved June 4, 2025 from: https://spine-health.com/conditions/osteoporosis/when-back-pain-a-spine-compression-fracture.
- Edidin AA, Ong KL, Lau E, Kurtz SM. Morbidity and Mortality After Vertebral Fractures: Comparison of Vertebral Augmentation and Nonoperative Management in the Medicare Population. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2015 Aug 1;40(15):1228-41
- Cooper C, O’Neill T, Silman A. The epidemiology of vertebral fractures. European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study Group. Bone 1993; 14(suppl 1):889-97
- Kado DM, Browner WS, Palermo L, Nevitt MC, Genant HK, Commings SR. Vertebral fractures and mortality in older women: a prospective study. Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. Arch Intern Med 1999; 159:1215-20
- Broy SB. The Vertebral Fracture Cascade: Etiology and Clinical Implications. J Clin Densitom. 2016 Jan-Mar;19(1):29-34.
- Tzermiadianos M et al. Altered disc pressure profile after an osteoporotic vertebral fracture is a risk factor for adjacent vertebral body fracture. European Spine Journal. 2008; 17:1522-1530.
- Pongchaiyakul C et al. Asymptomatic vertebral deformity as a major risk factor for subsequent fractures and mortality: A long-term prospective study. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2005; 20(8):1349-1355.
- Kado D et al. Vertebral fractures and mortality in older women: A prospective study. Study of osteoporotic research group. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1999; 159(11):1215-1220.
- Stanghelle B et al. Associations between health-related quality of life, physical function and pain in older women with osteoporosis and vertebral fracture. BMC Geriatrics. 2019; 19(1):298.
- Suzuki N et al. The prognosis for pain, disability, activities of daily living and quality of life after an acute osteoporotic vertebral body fracture: Its relation to fracture level, type of fracture and grade of fracture deformation. European Spine Journal. 2009; 18(1):77-88.
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