Differential Diagnosis of a Pathological Spine Fracture.

A 71-year-old woman with a 10-month history of atraumatic low back pain was referred to physical therapy after an insidious exacerbation of symptoms. Red flags raised suspicions for spinal compression fracture, necessitating the physical therapist to contact her physician and recommend imaging. Radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging were ordered, the latter of which showed an acute fracture at T10, with lesions at T9 and in the liver suggesting metastasis. Following bone scintigraphy and an ultrasound-guided biopsy of a liver lesion, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(7):595. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7768.