What is kyphoplasty and the procedure?
Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat vertebral compression fractures by inflating a balloon to restore bone height then injecting bone cement into the vertebral body.
Reduce pain and increase mobility by filling in small breaks in the vertebra (spine).
The goal of this surgical procedure is designed to stop pain caused by a spinal fracture, stabilize the bone, and to restore some or all of the lost vertebral body height.
The Details of Kyphoplasty Surgery
- During kyphoplasty surgery, a small incision is made in the back through which the doctor places a narrow tube. Using fluoroscopy to guide it to the correct position, the tube creates a path through the back into the fractured area through the structure of the involved vertebrae.
- Using X-ray images, the doctor inserts a special balloon through the tube and into the vertebrae, then gently and carefully inflates it. As the balloon inflates, it elevates the fracture, returning the pieces to a more normal position. It also compacts the soft inner bone to create a cavity inside the vertebrae.
- The balloon is removed and the doctor uses specially designed instruments under low pressure to fill the cavity with a cement-like material called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). After being injected, the pasty material hardens quickly, stabilizing the bone.
Surgery to treat a fracture from osteoporosis is performed at a hospital under local or general anesthesia.
Other logistics for a typical kyphoplasty procedure are:
- The kyphoplasty procedure takes about one hour for each vertebra
- Patients are observed closely in the recovery room immediately following the kyphoplasty procedure
- Patients may spend one day in the hospital after the kyphoplasty procedure
Patients should not drive until they are given approval by the doctor. If you are released the day of the surgery, you will need to arrange for transportation home from the hospital.
