
This process is most commonly due to osteoporosis, but may also be due to other pathologies such as cancer, infection (such as osteomyelitis), inherited bone disorders, or a bone cyst. Our goal is to help relieve our patients’ pain and restore their function so you can get back to the life they love.Pathological fracture of the humerus in a patient with metastasis of renal cell carcinomaĪ pathologic fracture is a bone fracture caused by weakness of the bone structure that leads to decrease mechanical resistance to normal mechanical loads.

Ortho Illinois Spine Care is a regional spine center for people in northern Illinois and the Chicago region who are suffering with neck and back pain. Which metastatic cancers affect the spine?Īt Ortho Illinois Spine Care our board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic and neuro surgeons are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of spine disorders. Surgery to remove the infected tissues and bacteria may be needed when the infection creates spinal instability and weakness, which create the risk of spinal fracture. They are usually treated with antibiotics and antifungal mediations either orally or via an IV. It can cause a spinal abscess and can result in paralysis. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, a stiff neck, pain that is worse at night, weakness, numbness, and tingling. It can occur after surgery or spontaneously in people with malnutrition, HIV, IV Drug use, cancer, diabetes, obesity and immune suppression. Spinal Osteomyelitis is an infection of the vertebrae that has spread through the blood. But it weakens the bone and causes pathological fractures. Paget’s disease is a benign metabolic bone disorder. But osteoporotic fractures also affect people who have a history of long-term use of steroid medication, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Osteoporosis is the most common cause of compression fractures in women who have gone through menopause. Osteoporosis increases the risk that even a minor or no trauma will break the bone. Osteoporosis is a benign metabolic disorder that reduces bone density that causes weak and brittle bones. Surgery may be considered if the spine is unstable or where there is significant compression of the spinal cord and/or nerves. These include pain medications, bracing, and limiting physical activity. Nonsurgical treatments are recommended for less severe pathological fractures. Symptoms of a pathological spine fracture may include: Pain in the back, legs and arms and neurological impairment. Symptoms depend on the underlying disease or disorder. In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, x-rays, MRI and CT scans can detect and evaluate pathological spine fractures. Management of a pathological spine fracture will depend on whether the cause is benign or malignant. Frequently pathological spine fractures result from tumors that start in the spine or from metastatic cancer. They may be caused by osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, other diseases and spinal infections (osteomyelitis). They are called vertebral compression fractures and are common, and frequent in the elderly. Pathological spine fractures are the result of an underlying disease process that affects the spine.
