Osteoporosis causes more than 700,000 spinal fractures each year in the United States.

If left untreated, one spinal fracture can lead to subsequent fractures, often resulting in a condition called kyphosis. Kyphosis is signified by the "dowager's hump", or rounded back. Kyphosis compresses the chest and abdominal cavity with many potential health consequences.

Balloon Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive, orthopedic treatment that stabilizes the fracture, thereby reducing the pain and correcting the deformity, when possible. Studies also report the following benefits:

• Correction of vertebral body deformity
• Significant reduction in back pain
• Significant improvement in ability to perform activities of daily living, such as walking, hobbies and work
• Significant reduction in number of days per month that a patient remains in bed
• Significant improvement in mobility
• Low complication rate

The surgeon creates a small pathway into the fractured bone. A small, orthopedic balloon is guided through the instrument into the vertebra. The incision is only about 1 cm in length.

Next the balloon is carefully inflated in an attempt to raise the collapsed vertebra and return it to its normal position.

Once the vertebra is in the correct position, the balloon is deflated and removed. This process creates a void (cavity) within the vertebral body, which is filled with a bone cement to support the surrounding bone and prevent further collapse.

Please contact your primary healthcare provider to learn if Kyphoplasty can benefit you.

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