Treatment: Vertebroplasty: Candidates

Indications for Vertebroplasty:

• Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures more than two weeks old in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine causing moderate to severe pain and unresponsive to conservative therapy.
• Painful metastasis and multiple myelomas with or without adjuvant radiation or surgical therapy
• Painful vertebral lesions (hemangiomas)
• Vertebral osteonecrosis
• Reinforcement of a pathologically weak vertebral body before a surgical stabilization procedure

Contraindications for Vertebroplasty:

• Osteoporotic vertebral fracture that is completely healed or is clearly responding to conservative management
• Untreated coagulopathy
• Bone infections (discitis, osteomyelitis or sepsis)
• Posterior cortical defect
• Cord compression
• Losing control of urine or stool or inability to urinate (sign of cord compression)
• Inability to stop blood thinners
• Tumors invading the epidural space
• Radiculopathy
• Significant compromise of the spinal canal by retropulsed bone fragment or tumor
• Fracture older than one year
• Greater than 80 to 90 percent collapse of the vertebral body
• Numbness, tingling, and weakness (Such symptoms could mean compression of the nerves at the fracture site)
• A vertebral burst fracture is a fracture that cannot be treated safely by using vertebroplasty.
  
  

Only a doctor can determine whether you are a suitable candidate for vertebroplasty. It is important to discuss any treatment options you are considering with your primary care physician or a call us at 610-327-7236 to review whether you or a loved one qualify for this procedure.

Please Note: While Vertebroplasty helps eliminate pain and reduce the likelihood of repeat fractures, it does not restore the shape or height of the compressed vertebra. It is not intended for the treatment of intervertebral disc disease, arthritis, chronic back pain or herniated discs. Age should never preclude treatment.

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