Benefits of Vertebroplasty to Kyphoplasty
Each year over 750,000 Americans sustain painful life threatening vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis(1) or metastatic disease, which lead to severe pain, deformity and loss of height.
Percutaneous vertebroplasty relieves pain and enables patients to regain independence when conservative care or major spine surgery are not a viable treatment options. Patients undergoing this minimally invasive procedure experience 90% or greater reduction in pain in as little as 24 hours(2, 3,6). Significant benefits include:
- Durable long-term pain relief, lasting 12-35 months after post-procedure(5, 6)
- An increased ability to perform activities of daily living(3, 4)
- Rare incidence of complications vs. kyphoplasty where there has been a disproportionate increase in reported deaths nationally associated with the procedure in the last three years.(6, 8)
Percutaneous vertebroplasty has been performed in the United States since the mid 1990s(4,7). The procedure is relatively quick and simple to complete; under fluoroscopic imaging, biocompatible bone cement is placed into a fractured vertebral body.
The fracture is stabilized, providing pain relief and increased independence. Percutaneous vertebroplasty is:
- Covered by Medicare as well as most private insurance plans
- Performed on an outpatient basis (7)
- Significantly less expensive than balloon kyphoplasty and does not require general anesthesia or hospital admission (lessens adverse impact to patient and facility).(7)
Jensen, McGraw, Cardella, Hirsch, Position Statement (pdf file) on Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation: A consensus statement by the ASITN, SIR, AANS, ASSR. (J Vasc Interv Radiol 2007; 18:325-330).
References
| 1. | National Osteoporosis Foundation fast facts page. National Osteoporosis Foundation Web site. Available at http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/diseasefacts.htm. Accessed March 21, 2005. |
| 2. | Diamond TH, Champion B, Clark WA. Management of acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a nonrandomized trial comparing percutaneous vertebroplasty with conservative therapy. Am J Med. 2003;114:257-265. |
| 3. | McGraw JK, Lippert JA, Minkus KD, Rami PM, Davis TM, Budzik RF. Prospective evaluation of pain relief in 100 patients undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty: results and follow-up. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2002;13:883-886. |
| 4. | Evans AJ, Jensen ME, Kip KE, et al. Vertebral compression fractures: pain reduction and improvement in functional mobility after percutaneous polymethylmetacrylate vertebroplasty—retrospective report of 245 cases. Radiology. 2003;226:366-372. |
| 5. | Legroux-Gerot I, Lormeau C, Boutry N, Cotten A, Duquesnoy B, Cortet B. Long-term follow-up of vertebral osteoporotic fractures treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty. Clin Rheumatol. 2004;23:310-317. |
| 6. | Zoarski GH, Snow P, Olan WJ, et al. Percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures: quantitative prospective evaluation of long-term outcomes. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2002;13:139-148. |
| 7. | Do HM. Percutaneous vertebroplasty. Dis Manage Dig. 2004;8:2-4 |
| 8. | The Plain Dealer, December 10, 2006 |