VERTEBROPLASTY

The procedure is performed while the patient is awake but sedated, and lying facedown so the physician has access to the back. The back is numbed by a local anesthetic. Through a small incision and guided by a fluoroscope, the physician passes a hollow needle through the spinal muscles and into the fractured vertebra. X-ray cameras above, below and on the sides of the table provide guidance for needle placement. When the needle is in the correct position, bone cement is injected through the needle into the vertebra. As a rule, the procedure takes one hour for each vertebra that is treated. After the procedure, patients lie flat on their backs for two hours while the cement hardens. They are then discharged and can resume normal activity. The majority of patients have significant pain relief within a few days.