Ask the Doctor at Saint John’s: New Procedure Cures Painful Back Condition

Q: What is Kyophoplasty, and how does it help in treating painful compression fractures of the spine?

A: By Ben Pradhan, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Spine Institute at Saint John’s Health Center.

The wonderful thing about kyphoplasty is that it gives us a minimally invasive way to treat compression fractures of the spine, whereas before we could only offer patients pain reduction medication, braces and bed rest.

When compression fracture of a spinal bone (vertebral body) occurs, the spine shortens and falls forward. This causes a great deal of pain, and often results in a “humpback” sort of posture. Now we have a safe and effective tool to relieve patients’ suffering. Kyphoplasty is one of the ways our team at the Spine Institute at Saint John’s Health Center offers real help for back problems.

The most common cause of compression fractures is osteoporosis. Compression fractures, in fact, occur more frequently than hip injuries in people with osteoporosis. When bones are not as dense, simply walking can sometimes cause the spinal structure to fail. The reason that spinal compression fractures have not received as much attention as hip injuries in the general press is that until now, very little could be done to treat them.

Kyphoplasty is an incredibly safe procedure. It is done through a needle hole or very tiny incisions. Small tubes are placed into the patient’s fracture with X-ray guidance. During the procedure, a balloon is used to straighten the fractured area of the vertebral body.

Once this is achieved, bone cement is injected into the newly formed space to obtain immediate stabilization and maintenance of the upright posture. At the conclusion of the procedure, the spine is better aligned and stabilized and pain is dramatically relieved.

The procedure takes about 20 minutes per fractured vertebra. Blood loss is
minimal and patients usually leave the following day, or sometimes the same day if the patient so requests.

Because of the speed of the procedure and immediate pain reduction, a frequently asked question when people contact the Spine Institute is whether kyphoplasty can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Although it can be, we usually prefer to keep the patient overnight due to anesthesia and other factors.

Answers to many questions about kyphoplasty and other aspects of spinal health can be found at the website for the Spine Institute at Saint John’s Health Center. Please visit www.espineinstitute.com. Kyphoplasty is a remarkable step forward in spinal care -- one more way we’re constantly improving treatment of the spine through a multidisciplinary approach involving diagnosis, physical therapy, surgery, and rehabilitation.

Dr. Pradhan is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine surgery for the treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal disease at the Spine Institute at Saint John’s Health Center. For more information about Dr. Pradhan or other Saint John’s services, please call (310) 829-8990 or visit the website at www.stjohns.org.

For a physician referral or a second opinion, please call 1-888-ASK-SJHC.
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