Introduction
First the good news, osteoporosis is a condition that is both preventable and treatable if caught in time. However, the bad news is that there is not enough awareness of the opportunities for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and too many people mostly women over the age of 50 suffer significant illness, deformity and sometimes death from this condition.
Osteoporosis itself does not cause back pain. However, osteoporosis can weaken the vertebral body (spine) so that it can no longer withstand normal stress or a minor trauma (e.g. a fall), resulting in a fracture. In fact, a fracture is typically the first outward sign of the disease, and advanced osteoporosis is potentially very painful and disabling.
Osteoporosis—the loss of calcium from bones resulting in weakened bone structure—increases the risk of fracture of vertebral body (the thick block of bone at the front of the vertebrae).
In this type of fracture, the top of the vertebral body collapses down with more collapse in front thus producing the "wedged" vertebrae, the "dowagers" hump and shortened height.
The resulting change in height and spinal alignment can lead to serious health problems, including:
•Chronic or severe pain
•Limited function and reduced mobility
•Loss of independence in daily activities
•Decreased lung capacity
•Difficulty sleeping
Also, studies show that a first osteoporotic fracture makes it five times more likely further fractures will occur. That is why it is important that patients seek medical treatment for osteoporosis before it reaches the fracture stage.
Kyphoplasty compared with Vertebroplasty
Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty are both minimally invasive surgical procedures for treating osteoporotic fractures where a cement-like material is injected directly into the fractured bone. This stabilizes the fracture and provides immediate pain relief in many cases.
Kyphoplasty includes an additional step. Prior to injecting the cement-like material, a special balloon is inserted and gently inflated inside the fractured vertebrae. The goal of this step is to restore height to the bone thus reducing deformity of the spine. Most patients return to their normal daily activities after either procedure.
