Kyphoplasty can be performed as an outpatient spinal procedure for reducing chronic pain tied to vertebral compression fractures that are typically associated with osteoporosis. While most often encountered in the middle part of the back (thoracic region), such fractures can also occur in the lower (lumbar) region. This minimally invasive operation usually takes less than 45 minutes to complete, with the patient going under general or a local anesthesia. Here, the surgeon makes two very small incisions in the back through which he or she places thin tubes with the help of imaging technology. Next, a specially designed balloon is inserted through each tube and into the collapsed vertebrae. A liquid then fills the balloons, thereby increasing the height of the vertebra to its original measure. After the balloons are deflated and removed, a “bone cement” is introduced via the tubes into the open space that was left behind, and this quickly hardens. This treatment differs from vertebroplasty in the way that the balloons create space and restore the vertebra to its original height before injecting the hardening material.
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