Do osteoporosis and bone fractures cause deformities in the back?
Small hairline fractures can eventually cause a vertebra to collapse. After a number of these small compression fractures, your back will show the effects. Spinal compression fractures can permanently alter the strength and shape of your spine. Because the spine is shorter, you will lose height. Most compression fractures of the spine occur in the front of the vertebra. This causes the front part of the bone to collapse, creating a wedge-shaped vertebra because the back of the bone is unchanged. The result is the stooped posture called dowager’s hump.
