Vertebroplasty is a pain treatment for compression fractures that fail to respond to conventional medical therapy. It is a minimally invasive procedure that Dr. Linehan performs with fluoroscopic guidance to stabilize the collapsed vertebra by injecting medical-grade bone cement.

Vertebroplasty reduces pain and can prevent further collapse of the verebra, thereby preventing and even partially restoring the height loss and spine curvature commonly resulting from osteoporosis. This treatment dramatically improves back pain within hours of the procedure and provides long-term pain relief.

A vertebroplasty procedure can take from one to two hours depending on how many vertebrae are treated. You will be required to remain in the office or hospital for observation for one or two hours after completing the procedure. Patients return home the same day and can often resume normal activities within 24 - 48 hours. In most cases, pain caused by vertebral compression fractures will disappear or diminish within 48 hours.

Untreated or inadequately treated compression fractures can be life threatening because the pain associated with these fractures prevents patients from moving, coughing and deep breathing. This in turn can lead to pneumonia. For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment is important.



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