Balloon Kyphoplasty for Vertebral Compression Fracture

Advanced Diagnostic Pain Treatment Centers treats vertebral compression fractures (VCF)—sometimes called spine fractures—which is when your vertebra, or the bones in your spine, break and collapse. A VCF can cause pain, impacting quality of life. Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure to treat VCFs that stabilizes the fracture and provides pain relief.[1]

Balloon Kyphoplasty Procedure

In the balloon kyphoplasty procedure, balloons are inserted through small incisions on the back and are inflated to raise the collapsed vertebra and return it to its normal position. Once the vertebra is in the correct position, the balloons are deflated and removed. The resultant cavities are filled with bone cement forming an “internal cast” to support the surrounding bone and prevent further collapse. The procedure typically takes about one hour.

Complications and Risks

Balloon Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of VCFs due to osteoporosis, cancer or benign lesions. Although the complication rate for Kyphon™ Balloon Kyphoplasty is low, as with most surgical procedures, serious adverse events, some of which can be fatal, can occur, including heart attack, cardiac arrest (heart stops beating), stroke, and embolism (blood, fat, or cement that migrates to the lungs or heart). Other risks include infection; leakage of bone cement into the muscle and tissue surrounding the spinal cord and nerve injury that can, in rare instances, cause paralysis; leakage of bone cement into the blood vessels resulting in damage to the blood vessels, lungs, and/or heart. This procedure is not for everyone. A prescription is required.

Please consult your physician for a discussion of these and other risks and whether this procedure is right for you.

Insurance Coverage

In most cases, Medicare provides coverage for Balloon Kyphoplasty. Other insurance plans often also cover the procedure.

1. Boonen et al (2011). Balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of acute vertebral compression fractures: 2-year results from a randomized trial. Journal for Bone and Mineral Research, 26: 1627–1637. doi:10.1002/jbmr.364