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Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty

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Topic Overview

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are surgeries that are done to try to relieve pain from compression fractures of the spine. Fractures can happen because of osteoporosis, tumors, or other conditions.

Vertebroplasty

After giving you a local anesthetic, the doctor puts a needle into your vertebrae and injects a substance that works like cement.

Recommended Related to Bones and Joints

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Stress Fractures

Stress fractures usually cause dull pain around the site of the fracture. This pain usually worsens while exercising, walking, or standing. Another symptom is swelling in the area.

Read the Symptoms and Diagnosis of Stress Fractures article > >

The doctor guides the needle using fluoroscopy. This is a test that can be used to position a needle for a procedure. Vertebroplasty takes 1 to 2 hours. The injection usually takes only about 10 minutes.

The cement mixture hardens in about half an hour. You likely will go home the same day. You may take some pain medicine for a couple of days.

Kyphoplasty

This surgery can be used to return your vertebrae to a more normal shape.

Your doctor may numb the area, or you may get medicine to make you sleep. The doctor makes a small cut in your back and puts a balloon device into the fractured vertebra. The doctor inflates the balloon and then deflates it. Then he or she puts the cement substance into the space created by the balloon. It takes 1 to 2 hours to treat each vertebra.

You may go home that day, or you may spend the night in the hospital.

How well do these surgeries work?

Only a few studies have been done on these surgeries. One study showed that people who had vertebroplasty for recent compression fractures noticed pain relief right away.¹ Two other studies, involving people with painful compression fractures from osteoporosis, compared those who got the cement to those who didn't. In these two groups, there was not much difference in their pain or their ability to be active.^2,³

Because the surgeries are still somewhat new, it's not known how well they work over time.

Possible problems from the surgeries include:

Allergic reactions.
Nerve damage.
Infection.
A blot clot that travels to the lung (pulmonary embolism).

Problems are more common when more than one vertebra is treated at the same time.

Talk to your doctor about how these surgeries compare with other treatments you might have.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: March 01, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.