does anyone know if you can tell from the X-ray roughly when a fracture occurred ? I had an X-ray which revealed a T8 fracture but I had had no pain , no incident , so don’t know whether it happened some years ago or in the last few months .
I had the X-ray in order to go onto Evenity injections
My spine is -3
My hip is -1.3
My femoral neck is 2.2
I was told that an x-ray can't determine the age of a fracture, I think it needs to be an MRI scan.
Thank you for taking time to reply … yes it must be
In my experience they won't scan as they know there's fractures and the age of them doesn't matter.
Yes I have asked but thought there may be another way. I wanted to know because I was trying to link my 1 T8 compression fracture with what I might have been doing and whether it was years ago when I did get pushed so I fell onto the edge of a step and felt huge pain and thought Id broken a rib..... If it was then Id feel less bothered . It's the random silence that is scary. I exercise and have a physical job so I don't want to change my lifestyle.
Hi Crumb1y, sorry but had to laugh at your name...guess that's how we all feel . Brilliant!!😀Yes it can tell if they are old. My recent x-ray showed 3 recent fractures and 2 old ones...or so I was told. Hope this helps. I'd imagine if you had no pain it was maybe just a very slight one? Good luck with the Injections.
I understand your frustration, I have a pretty similar situation, but as I say that's of no consequence to the doctors. Dexa scan is as far you will get , which won't show age of fracture.
Hi , I was told it is more important to be mindful of your back once diagnosed as the fracture will always be vulnerable. So lifting correctly, smaller loads,no rolling down back,bend at the knees as much as possible and no twisting spine.Like you I have an active job .,I recently spoke to GP as I wondered if I should have a a xray incase I had another fracture. He said carry on it's so good to have an active job and treatment wouldn't change from the drugs we are on.
Hi, the fractures can compress ( re fracture) more than once.
Four of mine in the thoracic have fractured more than once and some a third and fourth time, ( the latter I am hoping have fractured as far as they can now.
You do absolutely right to be extremely careful and cautious x
X-ray will show if it’s recent (less than three months) or ‘long-standing’ (more than three months). Less than three months will show inflammation around it, more than three months won’t. I am the same as you in that I’ve had several serious accidents and wondered if they could have been the cause. That’s why I went to great lengths to speak to a radiographer who clarified what I have said.
Btw X-rays can show up inflammation/odema in older fractures than 3 months, I did mine in May and in November the x-ray showed it hadn't healed, so had MRI STEM to find out what was going on.
So it’ll be 3 months after the fracture has healed (once the inflammation is gone)…..
Ok👍🏻
Hi, X-rays can’t determine an exact time of when a fracture occurred. (Nothing can determine that)
The closest you would get to knowing would be by having an MRI scan at the time of a fracture occurring or relatively close to it occurring.
An MRI scan will read either Old fracture or New fractures as they show Oedema around them.
One thing to be especially Aware of is even when a fracture occurs some hospitals and radiologists are incompetent at recognising the fractures on an X-ray.
I was sent home from my local hospital on 3 occasions being told I did not have fractures.
On one of those occasions I had 2 new fractures and although the duty doctor could see the fractures the consultant radiologist said it was wear and tear!!! 😡 his diagnosis could not be overruled by the duty doctor so I was sent home without even anything for pain relief as of course they do not prescribe anything for wear and tear!!!
2 weeks later I had further X rays at a larger teaching hospital and the fractures were confirmed immediately.
l have had 15 spinal fractures in total and apart from the very first one I have been able to diagnose myself before any x rays or scans.
The pain is horrific and gets worse with every fracture
There comes a point where scans and x rays prove no purpose, it only causes more immense pain and distress just getting to a hospital is too much of an ordeal.
When the bone density is severely low new pain is enough to tell you a fracture is imminent and once the spasms start then that’s your confirmation of a new fracture.
That’s speaking from my own experience.x
Thank you for taking time to give me such a long and informative reply. I am 4 months into Evenity injections and am very active . I haven't had any side effects . I see that there is some discussion about these drugs . What did you take ? Hope you are feeling ok today.
So sorry, hugs xxxx
when I had my second fracture they told me that one was an older fracture. I remember going to the Dr at the time and was given some tramadol. Then another Dr took me off of them. I lived with back pain for three years before I had another fracture and another followed. My dexa spine at the time was -5.5. I went on later to have another fours spinal fractures a broken foot and a broken hand.
Oxycodone is very good, they gave me Oramorph to begin with but it did nothing, been on Oxycodone since end of May, could u ask for that? It's morphine but I don't have any side effects
I would be afraid they would stop me driving.
No, honestly they work so well, I can do so much more with them. They're 12hr slow release.I drive, we have my mum in law living with us, she's 90, have to take her to appointments, it's the lame leading the lame😅
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mild to moderate wedge compression fracture of t12 no other fracture demonstrated 
Was your first vertebral fracture your last vertebral fracture? 
