Overview A vertebral compression fracture is a fracture caused by compression of the vertebral body after an external force. After the fracture, the vertebral body loses stability and the nerves are compressed and severe pain, even immobility, occurs. Under normal circumstances, the vertebral body has a certain degree of stiffness and can withstand considerable pressure. When vertebral osteoporosis, or vertebral hemangioma, or tumor metastases to the vertebral body, the bone density of the vertebral body decreases, and compression fracture will occur with a slight force. The elderly, in particular, are more prone to vertebral compression fractures because of the general osteoporosis of bone mass. Diagnosis The diagnosis of a vertebral compression fracture is relatively easy. If persistent low back pain occurs after trauma, or if the elderly have severe persistent low back pain for unknown reasons, a front and side x-ray of the thoracolumbar vertebrae must be taken to make it very clear whether there is a vertebral compression fracture. If there is no fracture, a clear diagnosis must be made and treatment must not be delayed. Treatment The traditional treatment is surgery, which requires cutting through the muscles and vertebral plates and using plates and other plates to reposition and fix the compressed vertebral body. The efficacy of surgery is very certain, but surgery requires incision and anesthesia, which is more traumatic and has relatively more complications, and many patients are unwilling to undergo surgery. With the development of interventional techniques, percutaneous vertebroplasty has become the treatment of choice for vertebral compression fractures. We first puncture the vertebral body through a puncture needle through the vertebral plate, then use a balloon to expand the compressed vertebral body and restore it to its original shape, then withdraw the balloon and inject bone cement into the expanded vertebral body. The bone cement quickly sets and reinforces the vertebral body. This heat is sufficient to kill tumor cells. Therefore, for compression fractures caused by tumor metastasis to the vertebral body, the intervention not only strengthens the vertebral body, but also kills tumor cells. The patient’s pain symptoms will improve or disappear rapidly after the treatment. Interventional treatment is non-invasive, minimally invasive, safe, with few complications and good efficacy. However, it must be stated that interventional therapy is only for the treatment of vertebral compression fracture, if the compression fracture is caused by tumor metastasis, the treatment of tumor must not be ignored.