Under construction: Using bone cement to strengthen compression fractures
Bricklayers use cement to strengthen and construct brick walls; cement masons use it to repair and build sidewalks. And, now physicians are using it to strengthen weak bones in an innovative procedure called vertebroplasty (ver-TEE-bro-plasty). This new intervention uses bone cement to strengthen fractured vertebrae and reduce or even eliminate the pain associated with compression fractures.
Osteoporosis
Binding your bones with cement
Step on a crack, break your mother's back
"The spine is made up of 33 bones or vertebrae," says
G. Keith Pilling, MD, chief of interventional radiology at Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County. "Compression fractures typically result when osteoporosis or 'brittle bone' disease weakens these bones and causes them to disintegrate. Bending the wrong way, falling or jumping may cause the fracture, but even a person's own body weight can collapse a vertebra."
Generally, people with compression fractures are "made comfortable" with pain medications, back braces, bed rest and limited activity. But the healing time can take four to six weeks or longer, and the person may still have pain. "Vertebroplasty can be performed on an individual who has not responded to these standard treatment methods; our goal is to relieve the person's pain so she can get back to doing what she enjoys," says Dr. Pilling. A majority of the people who undergo vertebroplasty report a significant improvement in pain within minutes or hours of the procedure.
Binding your bones with cement
The process begins with an MRI to determine fracture level, as well as to rule out a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. During the procedure, bone cement is injected into the affected vertebra of the spine while the person is under a local anesthetic. The bone cement binds the fractured vertebra, restores its strength and stability, and almost immediately stops pain or discomfort. After the procedure, the individual may resume normal activities with the recommendation that she not drive for 24 hours or engage in any vigorous activities for two weeks (see calendar for osteoporosis education programs).