In the procedure, a small incision is made on each side of the affected vertebra. Through a hollow tube called a canula, surgeons insert a small instrument with an inflatable balloon at the tip. Once it is placed inside the vertebra, the balloon is filled with air to increase the space inside the collapsed bone. After the fracture is reduced and normal anatomy restored, the team injects a cement-like substance that helps the vertebra stay permanently reformed.
Kyphoplasty is a major improvement over an older procedure called vetebroplasty in which cement is injected into the bone, with no attempt to correct the collapse, according to Sigurd Berven, MD, UCSF assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, co-director of the UCSF Osteoporosis Comprehensive Care Clinic and lead investigator of the study.
"Post operatively, these patients typically experience pain relief and measurable improvement of spine function. Most are able to return to normal activities within one or two weeks," he said.
Mary Williams, 62, is one such patient. She knew she had osteoporosis and had been consulting her physician to prevent further bone density loss. One day, while exercising, she experienced sudden, sharp pain, which she thought was a pulled muscle. After several days, a visit to her doctor confirmed the fracture of a vertebra in her mid back. Over the course of the next few months, the pain persisted and Mary found that she was limited in her ability to walk long distances and to sit for long periods. This meant she could no longer attend the ballet or night classes. Mary also felt progr
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Contact: Maureen McInaney
mmcinaney@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
7-Aug-2002