If you’ve been dealing with spinal compression fractures, you’ve undoubtedly heard your doctor mention kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty as possible treatment options. Both procedures offer serious relief from pain and help stabilize the spine, but they differ in a few key areas.
Here, Dr. Raul Lopez and our West Texas Pain Institute uncover the differences between these two popular spinal compression fracture treatments so you can make an informed decision about your pain management plan.
We recommend kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty for spinal compression fractures. A compression fracture occurs when one of the bones in your spine (called a vertebra) collapses or breaks under pressure. This often occurs due to osteoporosis, which weakens bones over time, but it can also result from trauma, cancer, or certain medical conditions.
These fractures can cause:
That’s where kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty come in. Both are minimally invasive procedures used to treat spinal fractures and reduce pain. Let’s take a closer look.
Vertebroplasty is typically the simpler of the two procedures. During vertebroplasty, we insert a needle into the fractured vertebra and inject a special bone cement. The cement hardens quickly and acts like an internal cast, stabilizing the fracture, quickly relieving pain, and even preventing future fractures.
Vertebroplasty stabilizes the fracture but doesn’t restore the vertebra’s original height like kyphoplasty.
Kypohplasty takes vertebroplasty a step further. We insert a small balloon into the fractured vertebra and inflate it to create space and restore the bone’s height. Once we remove the balloon, we continue injecting the bone cement.
While they have some differences, kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty also share several things in common, such as:
In general, recovery time is short, and most patients return home the same day.
The key difference is that kyphoplasty involves restoring bone height and is slightly more complicated than vertebroplasty.
Deciding which is right for you depends on your situation. If your vertebra has collapsed significantly and you’ve lost height or developed a noticeable curve, kyphoplasty might be more beneficial.
On the other hand, if the goal is simply to stabilize the fracture and stop the pain, vertebroplasty might be all you need.
During your consultation, we discuss your pain and the cause and severity of your fracture in depth. We also consider factors like your overall health, the quality of your bones, and your treatment goals before recommending one of the two procedures.
If you’re struggling with back pain from a compression fracture, you have treatment options. Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are powerful tools that can help stabilize your spine, relieve pain, and get you moving again.
When you’re ready to choose a path to pain-free living, you can schedule a consultation with our expert online or over the phone at our El Paso, Texas, office.
