Nearly 80% of Americans suffer back pain at some point in their lives. One of the leading causes of pain is a fracture of the spinal vertebrae. At least 25% of all women, and a somewhat smaller percentage of men, over the age of 50 will suffer one or more vertebral compression fractures due to bone loss (osteoporosis) caused by aging. Other causes of osteoporosis include the use of medications (steroids, synthroid, heparin, anticonvulsants), as well as a sedentary lifestyle and bone marrow infiltrative diseases.

While vertebral fractures can occur without pain, often they cause intense, unbearable pain that limits mobility and negatively impacts the quality of life for many individuals. Although conservative therapy including wearing a brace, bed rest, or pain relievers may control the pain level for some patients, others may not experience adequate relief.

Vertebroplasty consists of injecting methylmethacrylate into the compressed vertebra through a trocar that is advanced under fluoroscopic guidance through the pedicle in the vertebral body. This non-surgical procedure requires only local anesthesia and conscious sedation. The procedure takes approximately one hour per vertebral body to perform. Some patients return home the same day, while others may be hospitalized overnight.

Prior to performing vertebroplasty, it is essential to establish that the vertebral body in question is really the cause for the patient's pain. This is found through a careful physical exam, x-ray, bone scan, and an MRI. The bone scan confirms that the fracture is acute, and the MRI helps to confirm that the patient's pain is not secondary to disc herniation, spinal stenosis, neoplasm or infection. CT of the vertebra can be obtained rather than MRI in patients that have symptoms or conditions that restrict them from having MRI.

Vertebroplasty is performed at the hospital by our radiologists specialized in neuroradiology.