You can fracture any vertebrae in your spine, although fractures in the thoracolumbar region (where your mid-back and low back come together) are the most common.
5%-10% of spinal fractures are in the neck (cervical spine).1
64% of spinal fractures are in the thoracolumbar region (where the thoracic and lumbar spines come together).1
Car accidents cause 45% of spinal fractures every year.1
Serious falls cause 20% of spinal fractures every year.1
Sports (think football and other high impact sports) cause 15% of spinal fractures every year.1
Acts of violence (gunshots, knife wounds) cause 15% of spinal fractures every year.1
Osteoporosis—a condition that weakens your bones—causes 700,000 spinal fractures every year in America.
Spinal fractures can cause spinal cord injury. Except in certain circumstances (someone has been in a diving accident, and you need to get them out of the water), you should never try to move a person who possibly has a spinal cord injury. Wait for emergency personnel.
