What Is Kyphoplasty?
Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat vertebral compression fractures — collapses of the bony blocks of the spine that most commonly result from osteoporosis, but can also occur from trauma or cancer involving the vertebrae. Left untreated, these fractures cause significant pain, progressive spinal deformity, and loss of height. Kyphoplasty addresses the fracture by stabilizing the vertebra and, in many cases, restoring some of the lost height.
During the procedure, a thin tube is placed through the skin and into the fractured vertebra under imaging guidance. A small balloon is inflated inside the vertebra to create a cavity and restore some vertebral height, and then the cavity is filled with bone cement that hardens and stabilizes the fracture. The procedure is performed through punctures in the skin — no surgical incision is required.
Who Is a Candidate for Kyphoplasty?
Kyphoplasty is appropriate for patients with painful vertebral compression fractures that have not responded to conservative management — rest, pain medication, bracing — typically over a period of several weeks. Imaging, usually MRI, is used to confirm that the fracture is recent enough that the bone remains amenable to the procedure. Older, completely healed fractures are generally not treatable with kyphoplasty.
- Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are the most common indication
- Fractures caused by trauma may also be candidates depending on severity
- Pathologic fractures from metastatic cancer are evaluated individually
What Kyphoplasty Recovery Looks Like
Most patients experience significant pain relief within days of the procedure. Because there is no surgical incision, there is no wound to heal. Patients are typically discharged the same day and can resume light activity quickly. The treated vertebra is stabilized permanently by the bone cement, though the underlying condition that caused the fracture — such as osteoporosis — requires separate management to prevent future fractures.
Kyphoplasty at MinVasive Medical in NJ
MinVasive Medical performs kyphoplasty for patients throughout New Jersey at our Paramus location. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a vertebral compression fracture and is dealing with significant spine pain, a consultation with our interventional radiology team will clarify whether kyphoplasty is an appropriate treatment option.
