Burst fractures occur as a result of a high-energy load through the spine causing the vertebra to break or shatter into many tiny pieces. That's why they call them burst fractures.

Burst fractures are most often caused by car accidents or by falls. The danger of these fractures is that the bone fragments can shift and press into the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots causing temporary and even permanent neurologic damage.

In this study, the use of a brace for thoracolumbar burst fractures is investigated. Do patients really need a back brace for this condition? If they do, what kind of brace works best? How long should they wear it? The first step in answering questions like these is to find out if patients wearing the brace have any better results than those who don't wear a brace.

The Dowager's hump in medical terms is called hyperkyphosis. It is an increase in the forward curvature of the spine -- usually in the lower cervical (neck) and upper thoracic areas. A visible hump appears along the back of the spine. The head juts forward like a turtle out of the shell and eventually the chin drops down to the chest if the curve is pronounced enough.

Your husband may be developing a condition called hyperkyhosis. This is a forward curvature of the spine. You may have heard it by another more common name: Dowager's hump. People think this problem only affects women, hence the name. But, in fact, it is just as common among men.

The Dowager's hump in medical terms is called hyperkyphosis. It is an increase in the forward curvature of the spine -- usually in the lower cervical (neck) and upper thoracic areas. A visible hump appears along the back of the spine and the head juts forward and eventually down if the curve is pronounced enough.

If i have a painful lesion on my t9,found during mri 10cm should i request a bone scan or marrow biopsy?This was discoverd 3 years ago along with a narrowing of the thoracic spine and since then three more lesions have popped on my back,and one on my leg,should i be concerned?

Physical therapists, like everyone else in the health care field, are working hard to find ways to treat patients safely and effectively. Instead of treatment as usual, therapists are striving to find scientific evidence to support (or refute) current treatment approaches.

A treatment procedure called vertebroplasty was developed about 15 years ago. A long, thin tube called a cannula (needle) is inserted through the skin into the vertebral bone. Cement is injected through the needle into the compressed area. The cement hardens quickly and stabilizes the fracture. The surgeon uses a special X-ray imaging called fluoroscopy to guide the needle and ensure accurate placement of the cement.

Compression fractures are the most common type of fracture affecting the spine. When stress on the spine from everyday movements is greater than the strength of the bone, the bone fractures and collapses down on itself. That's a vertebral compression fracture (VCF). Compression fractures are often the result of osteoporosis, a common problem in older adults (especially postmenopausal women).

Spinal stenosis occurs with the spinal canal narrows to the point that it begins to press on the spinal nerves. This can cause pain and nerve problems, such as weakness in the area below the nerve level. When the stenosis happens in the cervical region (the neck and extreme upper back), this results in weakness in the arms, while lumbar spinal stenosis (the lower back) results in problems with the legs. Thoracic spinal stenosis, the mid-back, is more complicated.