New treatments help ease the pain of common bone diseases

The risk of developing a number of medical problems increases as people age. An example is osteoporosis. About 8 million women and 2 million men in the U.S. have osteoporosis. The disease causes progressive bone loss and could lead to bone fractures – frequently in the vertebrae. In fact, osteoporosis is the most common cause of compression factures of the vertebrae, causing tremendous pain and impacting a patient’s quality of life. Other causes of vertebral factors are cancer or lesions on the spine. Not too many years ago, patients with vertebral fractures were treated with rest and pain killers. But advances in treatments over the past decade are helping those with fractured vertebrae get their lives back.   

When the vertebrae collapse, it causes not only pain, but also a spinal deformity or “hunchback” appearance. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty can stop the pain caused by the fracture by stabilizing the bone. In very simple terms, vertebroplasty is done by an interventional radiologists using image guidance X-rays. A needle is inserted through the skin into the fractured vertebrae to place surgical bone cement.

It works as an internal splint, strengthening the collapsed vertebrae and relieving the pain.

Kyphoplasty is much like verterbroplasty but it also places a balloon into the collapsed vertebra to help lift it into its normal position and create space before the cement is injected. The advantage is that some, if not all, of the height is restored, but only if the fracture is fairly recent. St. Mary’s Medical Center provides both treatments, so patients and their doctors can decide which procedure is best in each case.

Both procedures are very effective for pain relief. Patients often go home the same day as the procedure Some people feel immediate pain relief and most will feel a big improvement within a couple of days.  Overall, pain is reduced in almost 90 percent of patients.