A same-day minimally invasive procedure that stabilizes painful spine fractures, restores vertebral height, and provides rapid relief for patients with compression fractures from osteoporosis, trauma, or cancer.
Candidacy
Who This May Help
Balloon kyphoplasty may be an option if you have been diagnosed with a vertebral compression fracture — a collapse within one of the bones of your spine — causing significant back pain that has not improved adequately with rest, bracing, or pain medications. These fractures most commonly occur in patients with osteoporosis, but can also result from trauma or cancer that has spread to the spine.
A consultation with our clinical team will determine whether you are a candidate.
Procedure Overview
How Balloon Kyphoplasty Works
Balloon kyphoplasty first gently restores height to the collapsed vertebra using a small balloon, then fills the created space with bone cement to stabilize the fracture from within. This two-step approach — inflating the balloon before injecting cement — allows for partial height restoration and helps correct the forward spinal curvature that develops when a vertebra collapses.
Access is gained through a small incision of approximately 1 cm. It is a same-day outpatient procedure — patients go home the same day. For patients with cancer-related spine fractures, kyphoplasty may be combined with bone tumor ablation in the same procedure when both a fracture and a painful bone metastasis are present.
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Recovery & Results
What to Expect After the Procedure
Most patients experience significant to near-complete relief of their fracture pain within 24 to 48 hours of the procedure. Some mild soreness at the procedure site is normal and resolves quickly. Walking is encouraged soon after returning home.
Most patients return to light daily activity within one to two days. The pace of recovery can vary depending on the number of fractures treated and your overall health. Your clinical team will provide guidance tailored to your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that stabilizes a painful vertebral compression fracture and can restore some of the lost vertebral height. A small balloon is inserted into the collapsed vertebra and carefully inflated to create a cavity, which is then filled with bone cement to stabilize the fracture. The procedure is performed on a same-day outpatient basis and most patients experience significant pain relief within 24 to 48 hours.
Balloon kyphoplasty may be appropriate for patients with painful vertebral compression fractures from osteoporosis, trauma, or cancer that have not responded adequately to rest, bracing, or pain medications. It is most effective when performed in the acute or subacute phase — within weeks to a few months of the fracture — before the bone has fully healed in a collapsed position.
Both procedures stabilize vertebral compression fractures using bone cement. The key difference is that kyphoplasty first uses a small balloon to create a cavity inside the collapsed vertebra, which can restore some of the lost vertebral height before the cement is injected. Vertebroplasty injects cement directly without the balloon step. Kyphoplasty is generally preferred because height restoration helps correct the forward spinal curvature caused by the collapse.
Most patients experience significant to near-complete relief of their fracture pain within 24 to 48 hours of the procedure. Some mild soreness at the procedure site is normal and resolves quickly. Walking is encouraged soon after returning home and most patients return to light daily activity within one to two days.
Yes. Balloon kyphoplasty can be performed for vertebral compression fractures caused by cancer spreading to the spine. In some cases it may be combined with bone tumor ablation in the same procedure when both a fracture and a painful bone metastasis are present at the same level. A consultation will determine whether kyphoplasty alone or in combination with ablation is most appropriate for your situation.
Balloon kyphoplasty is covered by Medicare and most major insurance plans for appropriately selected patients with painful vertebral compression fractures. Our team will review your imaging, fracture history, and insurance coverage at your consultation.
Sudden Back Pain With a Spine Fracture? Don’t Wait.
Kyphoplasty is most effective when performed promptly. Our clinical team will evaluate your fracture and determine whether you are a candidate.
