What is a vertebroplasty and a kyphoplasty and when are they indicated for the treatment of compression fractures?
Vertebroplasty consists of percutaneous injection of bone cement, usually polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), under fluoroscopic guidance into a collapsed vertebral body. Kyphoplasty involves introduction of an inflatable balloon into the fractured vertebral body to create a space that is subsequently filled with bone cement. Fig. 1 illustrates a vertebral body filled with bone cement after vertebroplasty. Initially, vertebroplasty was used for treatment of symptomatic primary or secondary osteolytic vertebral tumors. These procedures are now more often being used to treat symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures unresponsive to >6 weeks of conservative therapy. Both procedures reduce pain and help to stabilize and restore the lost vertebral height due to the compression fracture.
