Treatment can involve conservative options with bracing, pain medication, and activity modification. However, these fractures can take several months to heal on their own and sometimes will not heal appropriately. They can also progress, causing permanent deformities and chronic pain if the appropriate intervention does not occur in a timely manner. Treatment typically includes kyphoplasty, a procedure that utilizes a balloon to “decompress” the compressed fracture and then bone cement to stabilize the fracture and alleviate pain.
