ABSTRACT
Pathologic vertebral compression fractures ( VCFs) can result from a variety of disorders that cause osseous compromise, including osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, and metastatic tumors. Osteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by decreased bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration. The resulting decrease in mechanical strength often manifests as fragility fractures. The number of people affected is quite large, and the National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that over 100 million people worldwide, and nearly 44 million people in the United States, are at risk for developing fragility fractures secondary to osteoporosis. In the United States, an estimated 700,000 pathological, osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures occur each year (1).
