When the fracture occurs, severe pain can cause a patient to be bedridden for a few weeks. If the vertebra collapses, a deformity forms in the back and the patient begins to hunch forward. This posture can lead to difficulty with breathing and digestion, problems standing up straight, increasing back pain, decreased ability to walk even medium distances, and an overall decrease in the quality of life. When the fracture settles and the patient begins to slouch forward, additional vertebra are much more likely to fracture, increasing the problem and the hunching forward even further. The pain from a fractured vertebra causes a decrease in the level of activity.
Patients describe the inability to be up and walking and performing daily activities.
Often, depression sets in. Patients develop a lower self esteem as they become more reliant on others for their daily care. There is often anxiety as patients are concerned about their increasing dependence on others. According to a 1998 study there is a significant decrease in the lung function in patients with thoracic or lumbar fractures. In a retrospective analysis of five-year survival rates done at the Mayo Clinic, patients with osteoporotic compression fractures of the vertebra were found to have a worse survival rate over the next five years compared to what would be expected.