Spinal Compression Fracture caused by Injury or Osteoporosis

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If you’re nearing age 60 and have back pain, don’t assume it’s a normal part of getting older. You could be affected by a spinal fracture.

Back aches and pains can be a sign that small fractures are occurring in your vertebrae – the bones that form your spine. Soft, weakened bones are at the heart of this problem. Spinal fractures are often caused by bone-thinning osteoporosis, especially if you are a postmenopausal woman over age 50.

When bones are brittle, everyday activities can trigger minor spinal compression fractures. When you bend to lift an object, miss a step, or slip on a carpet, you can put your spinal bones at risk of fracture. Even coughing or sneezing can cause spinal compression fractures in more severe cases of osteoporosis.

After a number of small spinal fractures, your body begins to show the effects. The small hairline fractures can eventually cause a vertebra to collapse — called spinal compression fracture.

These tiny fractures can permanently alter the strength and shape of the spine. You lose height because your spine is shorter. Most spinal compression fractures occur in the front of the vertebra, which causes the front part of the bone to collapse creating a wedge-shaped vertebra. The back of the bone is unchanged because it’s made of harder bone. This creates the stooped posture called kyphosis, or dowager’s hump.

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About two-thirds of spinal compression fractures are never diagnosed because many patients and families think the back pain is merely a sign of aging and arthritis. In fact, many

people put off seeing a doctor because they don’t realize what’s wrong, experts say. But if osteoporosis isn’t treated, it can lead to future fractures — and possibly more severe spinal fractures. Osteoporosis treatment significantly reduces but does not eliminate the chance of developing another spinal fracture.

Being female puts you at risk of developing osteoporosis and broken bones. Here are some facts:

• Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, about eight million or 80% are women.
• Approximately one in two women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
• A woman’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.

Fragility fractures are a serious and growing problem for older adults and the healthcare system. In fact, 50% of women and 25% of men will have an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common with an estimated 700,000 such fractures reported nationally each year.

Vertebroplasty offers a proven and safe treatment that assures the best quality results for your patients and the healthcare system. This minimally invasive, image-guided treatment, in which bone cement is injected into the vertebral body, significantly decreases pain and increases mobility in more then 90% of patients. The stabilizing of the fracture helps protect against further collapse of the treated vertebra, thereby preventing the kyphosis commonly seen as a result of osteoporosis.

What is a Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty? Call 727-791-7300 for a consultation

Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for patients with spinal fracture of the spine (vertebrae) who have not received pain relief from conservative methods including strong pain medications, prolonged bed-rest, external bracing, etc….The procedure returns the structural integrity of the collapsed vertebrae utilizing x-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) to accurately place specially formulated acrylic bone cement into the veterbral body.

Ideal patients for Vertebroplasty procedure:

• Have recently suffered from spinal fracture
• Are having moderate to sever back pain

What to expect during the Vertebroplasty:

You will receive intravenous (IV) conscious sedation, a combination of a sedative (sleep inducer) and a narcotic (pain killer) for your procedure. This is commonly referred to as “twilight sleep.” You will lie on your belly for the procedure. Dr. Jerry will make a small nick in the skin near the spine. Using X-ray imaging he will insert a small needle and guide it into the vertebral body. Specially formulated acrylic bone cement will be injected into the vertebral body. The needle is removed and the cement is allowed to harden. The small opening is covered with a bandage. This procedure takes about one hour.

What to expect after the Vertebroplasty:

You will spend from 2 to 4 hours recovering in the post care area under the care of our clinical staff (critical care trained registered nurses). You will receive IV fluids and be given something to drink and eat. Upon discharge you will be given a prescription for pain medication. Recovery time is about 24-48 hours.

Will my insurance cover the Vertebroplasty?

Most insurance companies do cover the Vertebroplasty procedure.
We have a staff member solely dedicated to obtaining verification from your insurance as well as authorization if required.

Call 727-791-7300 for a consultation