Kyphoplasty

Direct answers — no jargon.

If your question isn’t here, ask us at your consultation. We will give you the same answer in plain English.

• Is kyphoplasty safe in older patients?
  Kyphoplasty is widely used and well-tolerated in older patients with osteoporotic fractures. In appropriate candidates the procedure is dramatically safer than the prolonged immobility, opioid reliance, and pneumonia risk that follow an untreated compression fracture. We screen carefully — bone density, cardiac status, anticoagulation — and coordinate with your primary care or oncology team.
• Will the cement migrate?
  Cement migration is uncommon with modern balloon-assisted technique. The balloon creates a contained cavity, and we deliver the cement under live fluoroscopy in carefully controlled volumes. Each level is reviewed in real time before any cement is set.
• How quickly will the pain go away?
  Most patients report significant pain relief within 24 to 48 hours of the procedure. The relief comes from immediate stabilization of the broken vertebra — once it stops moving, it stops generating pain.
• Will I be taller after the procedure?
  Kyphoplasty restores some of the lost vertebral height through balloon inflation before the cement is placed. Patients with acute fractures may regain noticeable height; for older fractures with healed deformity, height restoration is more limited but pain relief is still meaningful.
• How is kyphoplasty different from vertebroplasty?
  Vertebroplasty injects cement directly into the fracture without first creating a cavity. Kyphoplasty uses an inflatable balloon to restore vertebral height and create a controlled cavity for cement placement — generally yielding better deformity correction and lower cement-leak rates.
• Can kyphoplasty be done for cancer-related fractures?
  Yes. Kyphoplasty is an established option for painful pathologic compression fractures from multiple myeloma, metastatic disease, and other oncologic causes. We coordinate closely with your oncology team on timing relative to chemotherapy, radiation, and bone-modifying agents.
• What about bone health after the procedure?
  A vertebral compression fracture is a sentinel event for osteoporosis — and the strongest predictor of another fracture is having had one. We do not stop at the procedure. We confirm a bone-health workup is in place and coordinate medication-based osteoporosis treatment with your primary care team or a referral.
• How long does the cement last?
  Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is permanent. Once set, it provides lasting structural support to the treated vertebra. The vertebra can technically still fracture above or below the treated level — which is why bone-health management afterward is essential.
• Will I need anesthesia?
  Kyphoplasty is performed under local anesthesia with light IV sedation in our office or surgery center. General anesthesia is not required. Most patients do not remember much of the procedure and walk out the same day.
• What if I have multiple fractured vertebrae?
  Multiple-level kyphoplasty is common and often appropriate in a single procedure session, particularly for osteoporotic fractures discovered on the same imaging study. We will confirm with MRI which fractures are acute and contributing to your pain before treating.