Osteoporosis

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease in which there is a loss of bone mass and destruction of bone tissue. This process causes weakening of the bones and makes them more likely to break. The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists.

Treatment option: balloon kyphoplasty

Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment that can repair vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) caused by primary or secondary (e.g. steroid-induced) osteoporosis, cancer or benign lesions. In this procedure, orthopedic balloons are used in an attempt to elevate the bone fragments of the fractured vertebra and return them to the correct position. Performed under local anesthesia, the procedure typically takes less than an hour and may require an overnight hospital stay.

Balloon kyphoplasty can make it easier for patients to return to everyday activities like walking, bending or lifting, with significantly less pain than they had prior to the procedure. Studies report favorable patient outcomes including:

• Correction of vertebral body deformity
• Significant reduction in pain
• Improved ability to perform activities of daily living
• Improved quality of life
• Low complication rate

Balloon kyphoplasty is performed worldwide and has been used to treat over 100,000 patients.