Why might I need to undergo kyphoplasty?
Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive technique that restores height to damaged vertebrae and helps reinforce and stabilize your spine.
It's sometimes helpful in treating damage that arises from injuries, infections, or tumors in the spine. However, the primary use for kyphoplasty is the treatment of vertebral compression fractures.
What are vertebral compression fractures?
Vertebral compression fractures may happen due to trauma, but by far, the most likely cause is osteoporosis. This condition regularly develops in older age, when the bones start to weaken from lost density.
Bone affected by osteoporosis is more likely to break. Spinal vertebrae often fracture on the inside only, compressing the bone and changing its shape, forming a wedge.
If you suffer from several vertebral compression fractures, it can cause kyphosis – an abnormal curvature of your spine. The result is a loss of height and a hunched appearance (dowager's hump), making vertebral compression fractures a noticeable sign of osteoporosis.
What does kyphoplasty involve?
Kyphoplasty is an outpatient procedure that takes place under sedation, so you feel relaxed and sleepy. Before the Pacific Sports and Spine team begins, they numb your back with a local anesthetic injection.
The first part of the kyphoplasty procedure involves inserting a hollow needle into the collapsed vertebra. Your provider uses moving X-ray image guidance called fluoroscopy to ensure the needle is in the correct position.
After positioning the needle, your provider inflates a medical balloon, so it expands gently to raise the top of the vertebra. This creates space and restores some of the height.
After removing the balloon, your provider carries out the second stage – vertebroplasty – which involves injecting bone cement into the space left by the balloon.
What happens when the kyphoplasty procedure is complete?
You need to spend a few hours under observation following your kyphoplasty procedure to allow the sedative to wear off and make sure you recover well; then, you can go home.
The injection site might feel sore to start with, but this should soon wear off. You need to avoid overdoing physical activity for a while to allow the treated area to recover.
Sometimes it takes several days or weeks to feel the benefit of having kyphoplasty. However, many patients feel instant or very swift relief of their back pain following treatment.
If you're suffering back pain from vertebral compression fractures, Pacific Sports and Spine can provide the treatment you need. Call their office or book an appointment online today.
