Spinal fracture

Spinal fracture
Lateral spine X-ray showing osteoporotic wedge fractures of L1/2.
Classification and external resources
ICD-9	805
eMedicine	article/248236
MeSH	D016103

A spinal fracture (vertebral fracture, compression fracture or burst fracture) is a fracture affecting the bones of the spinal column.

They can affect the cervical vertebrae (a cervical fracture), or other parts of the column. Vertebral fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine are usually associated with major trauma and can cause spinal cord damage that results in neural deficit.