Can you tell me what percentage of vertebral compression fractures are symptomatic?

Yes: It is estimated in the spinal literature that 60% of vertebral compression fractures are symptomatic enough to cause moderate - severe pain. Many of these heal without incident but approximately 30-40 percent may require treatment such as surgery.

That is difficult to: Exactly say as some people never get evaluated when they have back pain but the possibility of a fracture as the cause was real so it was not truly without symptoms. But the percentage is fairly high in the 60-70% range.

Most are: In the acute phase, most are symptomatic and cause pain. With time, many can slowly heal and the pain can resolve. In some, the loss of vertebral body height can worsen resulting in an abnormal spinal curvature called kyphosis. Check out Dpine-health.com.