Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty is a recent technique for treating compression fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine. This fracture is frequently seen in patients with osteoporosis of the spine coupled with a traumatic injury to the thoracic and lumbar spine. This technique has the advantage of reducing pain significantly and allowing early mobilization of the patient. This technique is performed in a hospital. It is done under general or local anesthesia with intravenous sedation. The technique involves percutaneous insertion of a needle (through the skin) and trocar into the vertebral body, the dilating the vertebral body with an inflatable balloon, followed by removal of the balloon and then inserting methyl- methacrylate cement into the space created by the balloon. This then stabilizes the fractured vertebral body. The total time for a one-level kyphoplasty is approximately 20 minutes. The patient will require one night in the hospital and the discharge the following morning majority of the time. This technique can also be used in people with bone tumors of the thoracic and lumbar spine that is compromising the integrity of the bone and threatening a pathological fracture of the vertebral bodies.