Osteoporosis Care
1. Minimally-invasive treatments for spine painful spine fracture:
For elderly people, back pain is frequently caused by vertebral compression fractures brought on by osteoporosis or metastatic disease. The vertebral body collapses, causing it to fracture.
Vertebroplasty:
Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a nonsurgical procedure where a needle is placed into the fractured vertebral body. Bone cement is then injected through the needle into the fractured vertebral body, thus stabilizing the fracture and offering structural support.
Kyphoplasty:
First, a narrow pathway is made into the fractured bone with a hollow instrument. A small orthopedic balloon is guided through the instrument into the vertebral body. Typically, two balloons are used, one on each side of the vertebral body, to better support the bone as it moves back into position and increase the likelihood of deformity correction. The incision site is approximately 1 cm (1/3 inch) in length. Next, the balloons are carefully inflated to gently elevate the fractured vertebra in an attempt to return it to the correct position. Inflation of the balloons creates a cavity (space) within the vertebral body and compacts the soft, inner bone against the outer wall. The cavity also functions as a repository for the bone cement. Once the vertebral body is in the correct position, the balloons are deflated and removed.The cavity is filled with thick bone cement to stabilize the fracture. The bone cement dries quickly and forms an internal cast that holds the vertebral body in place.
2. DEXA
Physicians at the Utah Vascular clinic are experts in bone density testing, and read DEXA scans from multiple locations in the Salt Lake valley.