A compression fracture is described as which of the following?

• A. Occurs When the Bone Is Pressed Together (Compressed) on Itself
• B. Results from a Twisting Injury
• C. Happens Only in the Skull
• D. Does Not Involve Vertebral Bone

Answer: (A)

A compression fracture happens when a bone is crushed or pressed together along its axis. In the spine, an axial load from a fall or heavy lift can push the vertebral body inward, causing it to lose height and sometimes wedge. This description—bone pressed together on itself—best fits the injury mechanism. Twisting injuries create other fracture patterns, skull injuries aren’t defined as compression fractures, and compression fractures specifically involve vertebral bone.