Kyphoplasty

Your Painful Spine Fracture and a New Treatment.
Dr. Mark Reiley
(510) 845-3856
Your doctor has told you that you have a fractured bone in your spine called the vertebral body, and that a new treatment may help you. The information below can help answer questions you may have.

What is a vertebral body?

Your spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebra. These vertebra are stacked one on top of the other to form the spinal column and allow you to stand upright. The vertebral body is the thick block of bone at the front of each vertebra.

What is a vertebral body compression fracture (VCF)?

A VCF is a break in the vertebral body which causes it to collapse. This in turn causes the spinal column above it to curve forward. The drawing on the next page shows three vertebra, where the middle vertebral body has a fracture. The collapse of the vertebral body.

What causes vertebral body compression fracture (VCF)?

Bones progressively lose calcium. Certain drugs, such as steroids, also cause calcium loss from bones. When too much calcium is lost from a vertebral body, it becomes brittle and can easily break. Even normal activities, like picking up a grandchild or stepping off a curb, can break a vertebral body made brittle by calcium loss.

How are painful vertebral body compression fractures (VCF's) usually treated today?

The usual treatment for a painful VCF is short-term bed rest, pain medication and possibly a body brace.

Why should I consider a new treatment for my painful vertebral body compression fracture (VCF)?

Pain medications do not always stop the pain of a VCF. The pain can last from weeks to several months. Pain for months can mean that the vertebral body is collapsing a little at a time.

Eventually, the vertebral body will stop collapsing and the bone heals. This usually stops the pain. Unfortunately, when the bone heals in a collapsed position, it creates a deformity that alters your posture.

Once a- deformity occurs, the problem can not be corrected later without major surgery. Also, the change in the shape of your spine contributes to an increased risk of more VCF'S. With each new VCF, your spine shortens and curves further forward. This spinal deformity can affect your health and quality of life. People with multiple VCF's have a greater risk of breathing problems, loss of appetite, chronic pain and/or difficulty walking.

What is the new treatment for painful vertebral body compression fracture (VCF)?

The new treatment is a procedure performed by doctors using an inflatable "balloon tamp." The balloon allows the bone to be elevated into place through a very small incision (cut in the skin). Your doctor inserts a small tube down to the bone and creates a path into the fractured bone. The balloon tamp is inserted and inflated as your doctor watches using X-ray pictures. The balloon tamp is designed to make a space, that can be filled with a bone filler. Your doctor will select the best bone filler for you and discuss it with you.

What are the likely results of this new treatment?

If your fracture occurred recently (within the last few weeks), the collapsed bones could be restored back to their normal position. Filling the space should reduce or stop the pain, and prevent the deformity. If your fracture is older, the healing that normally occurs may stop the bones from moving back to their original position, but a space can usually be made. Filling the space should reduce or eliminate your pain, and prevent further collapse of that vertebral body.

What else will happen if you decide to have kyphoplasty?

Your doctor will give you a medical examination and perform diagnostic studies (such as X-rays) to identify the vetebral fracture that is causing your back pain.

If your doctor decides that you would benefit from kyphoplasty, he will discuss the risks and benefits of the treatment. You may then schedule a date for the treatment.

Your doctor may admit you to the hospital on the day of your treatment to monitor your recovery overnight. At the time of treatment you may either be fully asleep or have local anesthesia with sedation medication to help you relax.

On the day after treatment you will be discharged to home. Your doctor will ask you to return at scheduled dates for a checkup in the office and to have x-rays repeated.

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