Symptoms of PATHOLOGICAL FRACTURE

Pain and swelling are the hallmarks of fractures. If a bone can no longer mechanically support the muscles which are attached to it, the function of that portion of the body may be limited. The vertebral bodies are common sites for pathological fractures to occur. Here, deformity of the spine may develop. Loss of height is seen. If the damaged bones impact the nervous system, they can lead to weakness, numbness and paralysis. When the vertebral bodies collapse, the spine may become deformed and angled forward. This produces a condition referred to as kyphosis. The deformity causes increased stress on the already damaged spine that can further increase the degree of kyphosis. A gibbus, or prominence of the spine, may be felt where the kyphosis occurs.