Surgery options

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for compression fractures of the spine

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are surgeries that relieve pain from compression fractures of the spine due to osteoporosis, tumors, or other conditions. After surgery, you may not need strong pain relievers for these conditions and you may be able to move and walk better.

Because the surgeries are still relatively new, long-term results are not known. Serious complications are not common for these surgeries. But possible problems include allergic reactions, nerve damage, infection, and pulmonary embolism. Complications are more common when more than one vertebra is treated at the same time.

Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty is used to relieve pain from spinal compression fractures. After giving a local anesthetic, the doctor inserts a needle into the person's vertebrae and injects a cementlike mixture into the crushed area. The needle is guided with an imaging technique called C-arm fluoroscopy. The entire process takes 1 to 2 hours, although the actual injection usually takes only about 10 minutes. The cement mixture hardens in about half an hour, and after a short recovery period the person is sent home. Painkillers are often given to the person for the first couple of days.

Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty can be used to restore the vertebrae to a more normal shape. The person is given either a local or general anesthetic, and then a small incision is made in the person's back. A balloon device is inserted into the fractured vertebrae and inflated. Subsequently, a cementlike material is injected into the space created by the balloon. The entire procedure takes 1 to 2 hours for each treated vertebra, and the person may return home that day or perhaps stay in the hospital overnight.

Both procedures are effective at relieving pain in the short term. Studies are being done to see if this relief is long lasting.