Episode 37: Vertebral Compression Fractures: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Dr. Orlando Ortiz joins us on this episode of Bone Talk to discuss vertebral and spine health. Vertebral compression fractures can happen from too much pressure on the vertebral body. This usually results from a combination of bending forward and downward pressure on the spine. Osteoporosis is often a contributing factor. 

This is the most common type of fracture in people with osteoporosis. Patients who have a compression fracture can have pain even when sitting or standing. They can have trouble breathing, sleeping and reduced mobility. Loss of height is another indicating factor. Often patients don’t realize they’ve had a fracture and attribute the pain to normal aches and part of aging. 

If left untreated, it can cause your spine to shorten and curve forward. This also impacts daily living and activity. It can contribute to chronic pain that leads to further inactivity. Each fracture (left untreated) can cause other fractures due to the change in the way our weight shifts. 

Dr. Ortiz shares with us that there are treatments such as balloon kyphoplasty that can help. Studies show that rest, pain management and physical therapy can make us more comfortable, but is not likely to prevent future problems. Interventional procedures can be quite effective at repairing fractures and preventing new ones. They can also help reduce pain and improve mobility.

All of your doctors can work together for your best care. It’s key to make sure that you advocate for yourself and get all of your questions answered. As with all medical issues, patients are recommended to do their research. Find a practitioner that will work with your personal doctor and will consider all your health concerns. Knowledge allows you make the best decisions for your spine health. This is a field that’s advancing and seeing great patient outcomes. Become your own health advocate.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• A. Orlando Ortiz, MD, MBA, FACR, Chairman, Department of Radiology, New York City Health and Hospitals/Jacobi

• Osteoporosis and Your Spine

Born in Puerto Rico, Dr. Orlando Ortiz was raised in the Bronx, by his mother and 2 siblings, where he attended public school, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School. Dr. Ortiz attended Columbia College where he majored in Bio-psychology and received his BA degree. He earned his MD at Harvard Medical School, and holds an MBA from West Virginia University. After completing a 4 year Residency in Radiology at Long Island Jewish Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident, he then completed a 2-year Fellowship in Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology at The Neurological Institute at Columbia University under the mentorship of Dr. Sadek Hilal. After fellowship, Dr. Ortiz was recruited to become the Chief of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology at West Virginia University Medical Center where he also served as Associate Professor of Radiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology. In addition, Dr. Ortiz previously held academic and clinical appointments at the University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore, Maryland where he served as Vice-Chairman of Business Affairs and Associate Professor of Radiology. Dr. Ortiz served as Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, where he also held an appointment as Professor of Radiology at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Dr. Ortiz has received numerous teaching awards in recognition of his academic commitment. Dr. Ortiz is presently the Chairman of the Department of Radiology at New York City Health and Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx, New York; here he is also a Professor of Radiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is involved in the active instruction of medical students, residents, physicians and allied healthcare workers.

His career path reflects a continuing journey to provide the best possible healthcare to all patients – for which he has been recognized by the communities that he has served. Dr. Ortiz is an active leader in the Radiology community; among his many leadership roles, he is a former New York Chapter-American College of Radiology councilor, is a past President of the American Society of Spine Radiology, served on the Patient Safety Task Force for North American Spine Society. Dr. Ortiz is an academic Radiologist and is a frequently invited faculty member at major national and international scientific meetings. He is a recently appointed leader for the Spine section of the 2022 International Symposium Neuroradiologicum to be held in New York City. He has numerous scientific presentations to his credit and lectures extensively on diagnostic and therapeutic spine procedures. Dr. Ortiz is widely published, including key instructional pieces for vertebral augmentation and other spine interventions, as well as a textbook on Image-Guided Percutaneous Spine Biopsy. He has and continues to direct and teach at physician’s courses on image guided spine interventions. In his clinical spine practice he continues to see patients and perform image-guided spine interventions as part of their care.