New Procedure Eases Spinal Cord Fracture Pain

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A new treatment is offering quick relief to people with osteoporosis and fractures of the spinal cord. The new procedure is called kyphoplasty, it’s been approved by the FDA within the last year and some of the first patients to have the procedure are pretty happy about it.

Kathleen Jarboe, Kyphoplasty Patient: “I have to say I was pretty desperate, it was so painful.”

Kathleen Jrboe’s pain was caused by a compression fracture of the spine. That’s when a vertebra in the back collapses. Besides the pain, those fractures can cause spinal deformities --that stooped over look. A new procedure called kyphoplasty can help.

Dr. Brian Johnson, Sibley Hospital: “We are now trying to treat, not only the pain, but also straighten the posture back up, to correct the downward spiral.”

Doctors place a needle into the vertebra. Then insert a balloon and inflate it to create space. Then doctors inject a bone cement. It doesn’t take long, the outpatient procedure is usually over in about an hour and the patient feels significant improvement right away, or soon after.

Dr. Brian Johnson: “We’re actually going into the spine that’s fractured, that vertebral body, and we’re trying to elevate the fracture back to where it was before it became fractured.”

And restoring the length of the spine can prevent other health problems before they develop.

Dr. Brian Johnson: “The deformity of the stooped posture can also cause compression on organs that reside in chest and abdomen, that can cause compression of the lungs, causing breathing problems as well as pulmonary disorders.”

Kathleen Jarboe felt better immediately after her kyphoplasty.

Kathleen Jarboe: “It was amazing. Like a miracle. I had no pain at all. I couldn’t believe it, but it’s been wonderful.”

Kyphoplasty only works on new fractures. And while most patients who need it have osteoporosis, people with metastatic disease are also good candidates for it. 

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