Question:

The most common site for an osteoporotic vertebral fracture is?

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Think of the thoracolumbar junction, where the stiff thoracic spine meets the mobile lumbar spine.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • Dorsolumbar spine
  • Cervical spine
  • Lumbosacral spine
  • Dorsal spine
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Osteoporosis is usually silent until a fragility fracture occurs. The commonest symptom is back pain caused by a vertebral compression fracture.

Step 2: Vertebral compression fractures cluster at the thoracolumbar junction, that is the dorsolumbar spine, because this is the transition zone between the relatively rigid thoracic spine and the mobile lumbar spine, where mechanical stress is greatest.

Step 3: Other typical fragility fracture sites are the lower end of the radius (Colles fracture) and the neck of the femur, but among vertebrae the dorsolumbar region is the most frequent.

Step 4: Remember that serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase are all normal in osteoporosis, which helps separate it from osteomalacia. The answer is the dorsolumbar spine.
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