About Osteoporosis

Kim S asked:


Does anyone know the most common causes of compression fractures of the cervical vertebrae? My mother was recently diagnosed with a compression fracture in her spinal cord at C7 (neck area).

She was Dx w/osteopenia 4 years ago, but hasn’t taken any steps to prevent further progression other than calcium supplements (and not routinely). She has a history of bone fractures, as she fractured her wrist about 2 years ago in a minor fall.

She has yearly mammograms and had lung X-rays taken last year as part of her annual physical. Everything was fine: no traces of cancer in either place. She is 64 y/o, caucasian, non-smoker, healthy and active, and other than having hypothyroidism, she has no other history of disease.

Her recent MRI did not reveal any type of tumor at the sight, however, they want to do further testing to make sure she doesn’t have a malignancy anywhere else in her body. Apparently many cancers can matastasize in the spine.

What are the chances this compression fracture is due to a lack of bone density and NOT to an unidentified malignancy elsewhere in the body?

Please sight any references, if possible.

Thanks for your help.

Kitchen Cabinet Organizers