Presentation
Fall from standing height.
Patient Data
Age: 70 years
Gender: Female
From the case:
Vertebra plana
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Compression fracture of L1, with typical vertebra plana appearance.
Some height loss is also noted on D10.
Diffuse degenerative changes.
Case Discussion
It may be difficult to differentiate whether a spinal compression fracture is acute or chronic in a trauma scenario, especially with radiography alone.
Some findings suggestive of an acute fracture are:
cortical disruption
trabeculae impaction
These findings are not observed in this case, which is likely to represent a chronic fracture.
Chronic compression fractures are oftentimes asymptomatic and can represent an incidental finding, usually in the context of osteoporosis.
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