What is the Kyphoplasty Procedure?

Reasons for Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty is performed when an individual has vertebral compression fractures in the spine. These types of fractures are usually caused by osteoporosis or by spinal deformities such as kyphosis. The latter condition is an abnormal spine curvature which causes the formation of a hunched back.

The Kyphoplasty Procedure

During a kyphoplasty, a device known as a balloon tamp is used to restore the spine’s natural curvature. Once the normal formation is restored, an additional procedure is performed to ensure the spine can retain its new shape.

First, the surgeon makes incisions in the back, through which a tube is inserted. This tube is used to convey the balloon tamp to the spine. Once the tamp is in the correct location, it is inflated. As the tamp inflates, it pushes against the bones of the spine, causing them to return to their normal conformation.

The inflation of the balloon also causes a cavity to form in the location where the spine was once “sagging”. In the next step of the procedure, the surgeon fills this cavity with a special type of cement known as bone cement. The surgeon must then wait while the bone cement hardens before he or she can close the incision sites and complete the procedure.

This is a very non-invasive procedure – so much so that many patients are able to resume normal activities almost immediately, with no restrictions on the types of activities they can safely resume.

Possible Risks and Complications

Kyphoplasty has certain risks, which are mostly dependent on the patient’s general physical health. Overall, the better physical shape a patient is in, the better chance that he or she will have a good outcome from the surgery.

The most serious (and rare) risks include the following:

Bone cement may leak from the vertebra, in some cases. The risk of this occurring is less than 10%. When this does happen, it does not usually lead to problems.

Rarely, the cement may cause damage to nerves, leading to pain or altered sensation. Even more rarely, leaked cement may travel to the lungs. There is also a very small risk of the cement becoming infected during or after surgery.

It should be noted that these are rare occurrences – for example, the risk of paralysis caused by cement leakage is around 1 in 10,000. The risk of cement traveling to the lungs or becoming infected is lower than the risk of paralysis.

References

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Kyphoplasty

Jeffrey P Kochan, MD, for eMedicine: Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty, Percutaneous

Radiological Society of North America, Inc: Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty