About Spinal Compression Fractures

As the foundation of your skeletal framework, your spine provides support, stability, and flexibility. It plays a crucial role in maintaining your balance, posture, and overall body alignment. Because of the spine’s importance to your overall health, spinal injuries such as compression fractures can have a profound impact on your well-being. Our team of dedicated clinicians offers a variety of minimally invasive treatment options for spinal compression fractures. Through percutaneous procedures (done through the skin), patients can vastly improve their quality of life and experience renewed mobility.

Causes 

Spinal compression fractures occur when the small bones (vertebrae) in your spine collapse or fracture due to excessive pressure or trauma. Aging individuals and long-term steroid users may also face a decline in bone strength. However, the primary cause of spinal compression fractures is osteoporosis, a condition characterized by excessive bone fragility. While bone is a hard, durable substance, it is also a tissue composed of living cells. The skeleton regularly undergoes a process called remodeling, in which old bone tissue is replaced with new bone tissue. As we get older, bones break down at a faster rate than they are replaced, reducing bone density. Osteoporosis often progresses gradually with few symptoms. Most people may be unaware they have this condition until they suffer a painful bone fracture or break – usually in the spine, hip, or wrist. Even minor trauma or everyday activities can lead to fractures. The National Osteoporosis Foundation predicts that one in three women past age 50 will suffer a spinal fracture.
 

Diagnosis

At our Spine Fracture Clinic, we are committed to obtaining the best outcomes for our patients. Prior to any procedure, our physicians carefully review the patient’s spinal imaging (usually an MRI) and with the clinical history and physical exam, determine if the patient is a candidate for percutaneous treatment. These procedures are generally recommended in cases where the spinal compression fracture is non-healed, painful, and has not responded to conservative treatments.

Treatments

Vertebroplasty - Patients are positioned face down on an operating table and a local anesthesia is administered around the fracture. Using X-ray guidance, a needle is inserted through the skin and into the fractured vertebra. Once properly positioned, a special medical grade cement is injected into the collapsed vertebra. After the cement has hardened, the needle is removed, and the procedure is complete.

Balloon-Assisted Vertebral Augmentation - This procedure is like vertebroplasty but includes an additional step to attempt to restore the height of the fractured vertebra. A small balloon is inserted through the needle and inflated in the bone. The balloon is deflated and removed, and the vertebra is filled with cement. 

Implant-Assisted Vertebral Augmentation - With the patient face down on an operating table, the surgeon makes a small incision in the skin near the fracture. A narrow, tube-like instrument called a trocar is inserted into the vertebra. Using X-ray guidance, the surgeon inserts an expandable bone tamp through the trocar. Once in position, this device is expanded, restoring the height of the damaged vertebra. From there, cement is injected to provide stability. The procedures listed below pose nominal risk and offer quick recovery times.

Schedule Your Appointment Today!

Don't let spinal fractures limit your life. Contact us to schedule your consultation and take the first step towards expert care and a healthier spine. REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE OR CALL: (828) 213-1461