Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is a safe and latest minimally invasive treatment for the fragility spinal fractures.
Osteoporosis is an epidemic in India and is very common in post menopausal women and even in old males.
Osteoporosis can cause back pain and bodyacks but can also lead to fractures, most common being spine, hip, and wrist.
There can be spontaneous spinal fractures without any trauma or fall, causing severe back pain and disability. Multiple fractures can lead to kyphotic spine with a forward bend in the posture, as we observe in many old ladies, walking bending forward.
Osteoporosis is an epidemic in India and is very common in post menopausal women and even in old males.
Osteoporosis can cause back pain and bodyacks but can also lead to fractures, most common being spine, hip, and wrist.
There can be spontaneous spinal fractures without any trauma or fall, causing severe back pain and disability. Multiple fractures can lead to kyphotic spine with a forward bend in the posture, as we observe in many old ladies, walking bending forward.
Osteoporotic spinal fractures can be treated effectively and safely by balloon kyphoplasty. The complete procedure is done under local anesthesia in fluoroscopic control. Needles are introduced into the fractured vertebrae and a balloon is introduced, to elevate the collapsed bone and correct the deformity. Now a bone cement is introduced carefully, which spreads into the fractures and repairs it immediately. There is a instant relief of back pain and patient is mobilized the same day.
Besides the Kyphoplasty treatment for fragility vertebral compression fractures, injection teriparatied, along with calcium and vit D, should be started for 2 years, to increase the bone mass and avoid further fractures.
Other latest techniques have also evolved in kyphoplasty like vessel plasty and spine jack, where collapsed fractured bone is reduced & elevated, more effectively by jacking it up and using bone cement with the titanium jack in place.
The only serious complication of kyphoplasty is cement leak into the spinal canal causing paralysis. But is very rare and prevented by using correct technique and cement in its dough phase (not liquid state).