What is wedging of thoracic vertebrae?
What is wedging of thoracic vertebrae?
An x-ray, MRI or CT scan report might describe “anterior wedging of the mid-thoracic vertebral body.” This means there is a compressed appearance of the front part of the body of the spinal bone in the middle of the spine. The most common causes for anterior wedging of vertebrae include: Osteoporosis.
What causes wedging of vertebrae?
When an external force is applied to the spine, such as from a fall or carrying of a sudden heavy weight, the forces may exceed the ability of the bone within the vertebral body to support the load. This may cause the front part of the vertebral body to crush forming a wedge shape.
What causes anterior wedging of thoracic vertebrae?
Anterior wedge fractures are fractures that occur when the vertebrae in the spine break down from some form of trauma. The fracture can also be caused by cancer, osteoporosis and any number of other conditions. Symptoms often include weakness and pain but can in rare cases cause nerve pains, tingling or incontinence.
Is wedging the same as a compression fracture?
The most common type of compression fracture is a wedge fracture, in which the front of the vertebral body collapses but the back does not, meaning that the bone assumes a wedge shape. Sometimes, more than one vertebra fractures, a condition called multiple compression fractures.
How do you fix a wedged vertebrae?
An osteoporotic compression fracture causes the front of the vertebral body to collapse in a wedge-shape (red lines). Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are similar procedures. Both are performed through a hollow needle that is passed through the skin of your back into the fractured vertebra.
What is wedging deformity?
This deformity occurs when the body of the vertebra becomes fragmented as in fracture crush, or when the bone becomes sufficiently softened from pathologic processes so that the body weight compresses the vertebra from above downward.
What is a wedged disc?
The intervertebral disc wedge (β) is defined as the angular difference between the inferior endplate of the upper vertebra and superior endplate of the lower vertebra.
What does wedging mean on an xray?
A wedge fracture is a vertebral compression fracture occurring anteriorly or laterally. Viewed, the affected vertebra resembles a wedge. These fractures are more commonly found in the thoracic spine, which is rather rigid displaying only a few degrees of flexion and extension.
What is disc wedging?
Can I exercise with a wedge fracture?
In order to give the bone time to heal, your doctor may recommend that you avoid all high impact activities, including sports and exercise. You should also avoid any bending, twisting, or lifting motions. However, this does not mean you should stay sedentary until the fracture heals.
What does wedging mean?
: to cause disagreement or anger between (people who had been friendly before) A fight over their parents’ estate drove a wedge between the brothers.
What does wedging of T12 mean?
Anterior wedging of T12. An abnormality of the shape of the thoracic vertebra T12 such that it is wedge-shaped (narrow towards the front). Posterior wedging of vertebral bodies.