Vertebroplasty

Nonsurgical treatment that helps to speed recovery and alleviate pain associated with fractures caused by osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that affects more than 10 million individuals in the U.S., is the cause of more than 700,000 spinal, or vertebral, fractures each year. These fractures are painfully debilitating and can take weeks or even months to heal.

Vertebroplasty is a new nonsurgical procedure that successfully treats compression fractures of the spinal vertebrae. This new treatment offers hope and options for thousands of patients whose pain could not be relieved with other treatment options.

With vertebroplasty, while the patient is sedated the doctor uses needles to inject plastic cement into the compressed vertebrae.

Vertebroplasty only takes about one hour to complete. Patients often report an immediate and dramatic relief of back pain. Most patients go home the same day and resume normal activities the day after the procedure.

As with any medical procedure, vertebroplasty involves a small degree of risk. However, in general, vertebroplasty is extremely safe and very effective for those suffering from back pain due to compression fracture. Most patients experience an improved quality of life following the procedure.