Percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty for the correction of spinal deformity in painful vertebral body compression fractures

Vertebral body compression fractures can cause chronic pain and may result in progressive kyphosis. Although vertebroplasty has been used to treat pain, it does not attempt to restore vertebral body height and eliminate spinal deformity. Percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty is a novel technique, which involves the introduction of inflatable bone tamps into the fractured vertebral body for elevation of the endplates, prior to fixation of the fracture with bone cement. Our initial experience with this minimally invasive procedure indicates that percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty can be efficacious in the treatment of painful, osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.