Technology provides patients relief from back pain.

Osteoporosis patients suffering from the numbing back pain caused by their disease may have new hope for relief, thanks to a new procedure that's being referred to as vertebral osteoplasty.

It has been estimated that there are 700,000 osteoporesis related vertebral compression fractures annually. Until recently, treatment options for these fractures were limited to management with pain medications, reduced activity, bracing or bed rest. These treatment modalities offered pain relief to a few patients, but the rest were left with chronic pain. Now, vertebral osteoplasty is available to treat these patients.

Aided by precision medical tools, vertebral osteoplasty is designed specifically to provide dramatic relief for back pain caused by spinal compression fractures in the thoraco-lumbar spine. The technique is a minimally invasive procedure, which relieves acute back pain caused by vertebral compression fractures.

The procedure enables surgeons increased access to a patient's vertebral body where a cushion of pain-relieving material can be placed. Thanks to positive results, vertebral osteoplasty is becoming more frequently utilized by surgeons arround the country.

Surgeons utilize the minimally invasive technique to provide their patients with relief from pain that is often so severe, immobilization has occurred. Post-procedure, the relief is so dramatic that often, patients who have entered the hospital via wheelchair will walk out the next day.

To perform this procedure, a needle is placed through the skin into the area of the spine in need of treatment through fluoroscopic guidance. Bone cement is then injected into the collapsed and the two adjacent vertebral bodies of the spine to reinforce the bone. Once injected, the cement takes approximately 5 minutes to harden. When this cement solidifies it becomes a permanent spinal reinforcement. This procedure takes about 15 minutes per vertebra.

Spine surgeon Ralph Rashbaum, M.D., who is medical director and co-founder of Texas Back Institute, is among the surgeons who has been pioneering the technique. He stated, "Vertebral osteoplasty has revolutionized the treatment of osteoporotic compression fractures. Prior to this procedure, patients had to suffer for months with significant pain because traditional spinal surgery procedures were too invasive and too risky for older patients, often with many other health problems. Now, patients are reporting significant and often complete resolution of their pain with a simple procedure that has them back to their daily activities within 1-2 days."

Aside from the obvious patient benefits, Dr. Rashbaum said he is also pleased with the benefits the procedure provides the surgeons who utilize the technique. "By making a small stab incision and injecting bone cement through a cannula no bigger than a straw," he said, "I can restore the strength of the vertebrae as well as relieve the pain. The entire procedure time is less than 30 minutes and the complication rate is negligibly small."

Vertebral osteoplasty is performed at a growing number of hospitals around the country with usually a one- night stay required of the patient.

Most patients who have received the procedure are older women, but there have been various different types of patients. Women are more susceptible to osteoporosis, and ultimately, compression fractures, because of hormonal and body composition changes that take place during the aging process.

"It's good to be able to offer patients a procedure such as this," said Dr. Rashbaum. "Vertebral osteoplasty is a safe, effective, minimally invasive technique that can rapidly restore the quality of life to patients suffering from fractures associated with osteoporosis."

Luke Murray is a freelance writer specializing in medical and healthcare topics.