Learn About Our Kyphoplasty Back Pain Treatment

A whopping 54 million adults over the age of 50 in the United States are at risk of breaking a bone due to osteoporosis and low bone density. And many of these breaks can occur along your spine as your vertebrae weaken and collapse. To restore your spine and relieve your back pain, we offer kyphoplasty.

At Commonwealth Pain & Spine, our team of board-certified specialists understands the many conditions that can lead to back pain. Our goal is to provide our patients with the treatments they need to not only relieve the pain, but to address the underlying cause for long-term results, as well. And that’s exactly what our kyphoplasty procedure accomplishes.

Here’s a quick review of kyphoplasty to help you figure out whether this might be the best solution for your back pain.

A kyphoplasty explained

Kyphoplasty, which is also called a balloon vertebroplasty, is a minimally invasive surgical technique that’s designed to restore damaged vertebrae. During the procedure, we thread a balloon through a small tube into your vertebra using fluoroscopy (X-ray guidance). Once in place, we inflate the balloon to restore your vertebra to its original shape and to create space inside your vertebra.

We then remove the balloon using the same tube and fill the cavity with a cement-like material called polymethylmethacrylate, which hardens quickly and stabilizes your vertebra.

We typically perform the procedure on an outpatient basis using general or local anesthesia. In most cases, a kyphoplasty takes about an hour, though it may take longer if we’re addressing more than one vertebra. Once we’re satisfied that you’re feeling well enough to go home, we release you with complete aftercare instructions.

The ideal candidate for a kyphoplasty

The kyphoplasty procedure is ideal for those who have a compression fracture along their spine. As you get older, you lose bone density, which can cause your vertebrae to collapse inward, leading to a more hunched appearance. In addition to the change in structure, these types of fractures can also lead to chronic back pain.

Outside of low bone density issues, a kyphoplasty works extremely well for any other issues that lead to damage in your vertebrae, such as cancer-related issues or trauma.

For the best outcome, a kyphoplasty should be performed within a couple months of your initial damage. In other words, a kyphoplasty is not a good solution for older compression fractures, pre-existing spinal deformities, or patients with advanced osteoporosis.

The best way to find out whether a kyphoplasty can relieve your back pain is to sit down with one of our spine specialists for a thorough assessment of your back pain. To get started, simply contact one of our 12 locations in St. Matthews, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Crestview Hills, Owensboro, and London, Kentucky; Evansville, Vincennes, New Albany, Carrollton, and Jasper, Indiana; and Carmel, Indiana, to set up an appointment.