Burst Fractures of the Spine Wheeless

Description: fall from a height, landing on one's feet, is a typical cause of this fracture;
- burst frx involve only compressive failure of the vertebral body both anteriorly & posteriorly, w/ failure of both anterior & middle columns;
- axial loading applied to intravertebral disc results in increased nuclear pressure and hoop stresses in the annulus;
- this results in a high shear stress on the vertebral end plate at inner border of the annulus, away from the center of the disc;
- a large central posterior-superior fragment occurs as a result of these forces;