Osteoperosis

OSTEOPOROSIS?
New Options for Spinal Fractures

Osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and easily broken, causes over 700,000 spinal fractures annually in the U.S.Approximately two-thirds of all spinal fractures go undiagnosed or untreated due to the absence of symptoms or difficulty determining the cause of symptoms, leading some to call osteoporosis a “silent disease."

With osteoporosis, bones in our spine, hips and wrists deteriorate and might become susceptible to fractures.In the spine, small fractures cause the bones to compress upon each other.Left untreated, this compression creates a curvature of the spine, sometimes referred to as “dowager's hump."Over time this curvature can become more pronounced, painful and debilitating.Because bone loss happens without notice-it doesn't hurt or cause much trouble at first, though left unchecked it might cause a lifetime of disability.After experiencing one fracture, continued bone loss raises the risk of a future fracture fivefold.

While a calcium-rich diet, weight-bearing exercise and the avoidance of smoking and excessive alcohol can help prevent bone mass loss, osteoporosis ranks second only to cardiovascular disease as a leading health care problem according to the World Health Organization. Since 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men older than 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime and bone loss can begin as early as 25, now is the time to take a closer look at osteoporosis and new options for treating fractures caused by osteoporosis.

Traditional treatments for spinal fractures include extended bed rest, pain medication, and back braces, all of which can relieve pain but do not address the deformity caused by the fracture.Open surgery is also an option.Balloon Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure, is designed to repair the fracture and restore the vertebra to the correct position.

Balloon Kyphoplasty is a procedure in which orthopaedic balloons are used to gently move the bone back to the correct position. It can be performed under local or general anesthesia.It typically takes less than one hour to treat each fracture and may require an overnight hospital stay. With a small instrument, the surgeon creates a narrow pathway into the fractured bone. A small, orthopaedic balloon is guided through the instrument into the vertebra.

Next, the balloon is carefully inflated in an attempt to raise the collapsed vertebra and return it to its normal position. Once the vertebra is in the correct position, the balloon is deflated and removed. This process creates a void (cavity) within the vertebral body. The cavity is filled with a special cement to support the surrounding bone and prevent further collapse.

Balloon Kyphoplasty can restore vertebral body height, significantly reduce back pain and increase mobility, often shortly after the procedure.

For more information about Balloon Kyphoplasty, log on to www.kyphon.com. You can also visit CenlaHealth.com and search the WellnessCenter for more information on osteoporosis.

Information provided by Dr. Garfin, a Scientific Advisory Board member for Kyphon Inc., the manufacturer of devices for performing Balloon Kyphoplasty.

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