Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Offered at Mercy Medical Center
Mercy Medical Center, in Baltimore, Maryland, offers comprehensive care for a wide range of spine conditions, including physician expertise provided by orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and pain medicine specialists.
Spine surgeons at Mercy perform vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, minimally invasive procedures to treat patients with vertebral compression fractures.
What are Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty?
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are minimally invasive treatments that may result in pain relief from vertebral compression fractures. The procedures are similar, both using a special medical cement to stabilize the fractured vertebrae.
How are Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty performed?
When performing vertebroplasty, doctors using fluoroscopy guide a small tube into the vertebrae (small bones that make up the spinal column) and a cement mixture is injected to strengthen the fractured bone.
Kyphoplasty involves first guiding a balloon catheter into the vertebrae. The balloon is inflated to restore the collapsed area. Once the balloon is removed doctors inject bone cement into the cavity created by the balloon. Typically, more severe fractures require the kyphoplasty procedure to restore the collapsed area.
Who should receive Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty?
Patients who have vertebral compression fractures are candidates for vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. This procedure is most beneficial within a short timeframe of the fracture occurring.