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Kyphoplasty
December 17, 2008 |
Spinal fractures can be extremely painful. Dr. Wesley Faunce is a neurological surgeon. He says, “Most people, when you think of a fracture, it’s like a broken stick. A
compression fracture is a fracture of the vertebrae and it’s sort of like stepping
on a Coke can and the can gets shorter and sometimes a little bit wider. Options
to deal with this in the olden days were either bed rest, a brace or either live
with it.”
Thanks to new technology, spinal compression fractures can be repaired with a minimally
invasive surgery called Kyphoplasty. “We make two small incisions over the bone
and when I say small I’m talking about a quarter of an inch,” says Dr. Faunce. He
then inserts a catheter and inflates a balloon inside the bone. “The idea is you
have one from either side and you’re essentially trying to re-inflate this stepped
on Coke can if you will.” Once the balloon is inflated it is filled with quick-drying
bone cement. “It gives that fractured bone instant structural support and all of
the pieces that are moving around in there causing the pain are now cemented back
into the bone.”
On average the actual surgery takes about ten minutes and patients are back home
the same day. Depending on the strength of your bones, compression fractures can
be caused by anything from a strong sneeze to a traumatic car accident. |
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