Osteoporosis can lead to pain and discomfort as spinal bones are gradually weakened. The pain associated with this condition can range from mild to severe. Fortunately, cases that do not respond to more traditional treatments may be good candidates for a treatment we offer here at Lone Star Pain Medicine: vertebroplasty.
The pain from osteoporosis is often the result of spinal fractures. The disease weakens bone tissue, thereby making bones more susceptible to compression fractures. A compression fracture occurs when a bone begins to collapse on itself. As you might imagine, such a fracture can create severe and persistent pain.
Vertebroplasty is offered with the goal of stabilizing the affected bone to prevent further collapse. Subsequently, pressure on both the spine and the surrounding nerves is reduced. This can alleviate pain.
A Basic Explanation
Stabilizing the spine with vertebroplasty accomplishes several things. As previously stated, it prevents further compression. But stabilization also inhibits the movement of tiny bone fragments in the joint. It prevents micro-motion at the sight of the fracture. The affected bone is reinforced, limiting the damage and improving mobility while relieving pain.
How does it work? Spinal stabilization is achieved with the use of bone cement. Applying the cement is a fairly straightforward procedure that begins with the patient lying face down on a padded table.
The doctor begins by sterilizing the skin and applying a local anesthetic combined with a light sedative. In all but the smallest number of cases, the patient remains awake and alert.
Once the anesthetic has taken effect, a needle is inserted into the back and guided to the correct location using imaging equipment. Along the way, the doctor is incredibly careful to keep the needle away from critical structures.
Once placed, the needle is used to inject medical-grade bone cement directly into the affected bone. The cement is injected under pressure to ensure that it fills in all the voids. Essentially, the doctor has created a permanent cast for the damaged bone.
Relief in a Day or Two
Bone cement is designed to cure very quickly. It is typically hard within 10-20 minutes of the injection. However, pain relief is not necessarily immediate. It can take a day or two before a patient begins to feel significant relief.
Immediately after the procedure, the injection site is bandaged. Doctors generally like to observe patients for a couple of hours before sending them home. They want to make sure that the bone cement is properly hardened and that there are no complications. Fortunately, the vast majority of patients go home the same day.
A doctor might also utilize imaging equipment to confirm proper cement placement. As for duration, the procedure normally doesn’t last more than an hour per treatment. If a doctor is treating just one damaged bone, the entire thing should take about an hour from start to finish. Two bones would require a two-hour procedure, and so forth.
The Long-Term Outlook
The long-term outlook for vertebroplasty patients is generally good. The onset of pain relief generally begins within a day or two of the procedure. Afterwards, patients tend to improve rapidly.
Even better is the fact that the risks of major complications are low. Vertebroplasty is minimally invasive and doesn’t have any known serious side effects. It is a good choice for osteoporosis patients who haven’t found relief through other treatments.
If you suffer from osteoporosis and are struggling to find pain relief, we invite you to visit Lone Star Pain Medicine to learn more about vertebroplasty. It is one of several treatments that could potentially help you.
