with non-displaced, compressive eggshell-like fractures. There are
potential drawbacks to the technique. The cement solidifies the
fracture and prevents further collapse, but also makes the bone
harder than adjacent vertebrae, which are therefore more likely to
fracture.
Balloon kyphoplasty was developed to address the inherent draw-
backs of vertebroplasty, a balloon is slid into the fractured vertebrae
and expanded to correct the deformity before the cement is injected
into the space. "Studies have shown that long-term correction of the
deformity is ineffective, and the vertebrae will continue to collapse,
resulting in further fracturing and recurrent pain for the patient," says
Dr. Jacobson.
Additionally, because the balloon makes a bigger hole in an
eggshell fracture, surgeons must add more cement, which hardens
the vertebrae and increases incidences of adjacent fractures. To
solve that issue, attempts have been made to place structural sup-
port inside the vertebrae before injecting the cement.
The most recent is a titanium implant that resembles a car jack.
Surgeons implant the device, and open it up to expand the fractured
vertebrae before the cement is injected and holds the device open.
Long-term studies have shown that the device maintains deformity
correction with better pain control and less risk of adjacent fractures
than previous treatments. It's particularly effective in the treatment of
vertebrae fractures at the junction between the ribs and the lumbar
region, where there's higher risk of deformity and continued collaps-
ing due to the body's natural movements.
The device effectively maintains spinal height and deformity correc-
tion with less risk of adjacent fractures, representing a natural pro-
gression from earlier structural support devices, which tended to be
more difficult to implant.
N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 3
