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Patients
with osteoporosis who are suffering from spinal fractures
can find relief from their pain with a non-surgical procedure
called vertebroplasty, according to research presented at
the 27th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular
and Interventional Radiology.
Vertebroplasty
is a procedure where the fractured bone is stabilized, providing
long-lasting pain relief and preventing further damage if
the procedure is performed early enough. The surgery is performed
under light sedation.
"Even
a simple fall can lead to a crushed vertebra in the spine
in someone with osteoporosis," said Dr. J. Kevin McGraw,
co-director of vascular and interventional radiology at Riverside
Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. "If the vertebra
isn't solidified, it can continue to flatten out, which can
lead to loss of height and curvature of the spine. Once the
vertebra flattens out, we can no longer treat the compression
effectively. It is very important for someone with persistent
pain in their spine lasting more than three months to seek
help, and people who require constant narcotic pain relief
should be treated immediately."
The study
included 100 patients who underwent vertebroplasty to treat
vertebrae that had been fractured (94 percent due to osteoporosis).
After
an average follow up period of more than 21 months, 92 patients
reported significant improvement in their back pain. Sixteen
patients said they had no pain at all after the procedure.
"Our
study shows that not only is vertebroplasty incredibly effective,
but it continues to provide pain relief for years," said
McGraw. "Before treatment, many of these patients are
in agony and can't function routinely, and there's very little
else to offer them besides bed rest and pain killers. Vertebroplasty
can give them their lives back."
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of April 21, 2002
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