Nancy’s doctor determined her back pain was a result of osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and break easily. More than 44 million Americans have osteoporosis, 80 percent of whom are women. Osteoporosis is often called the “silent disease” because it sets in without any symptoms, as was the case with Nancy, but then a strain, bump or fall can cause a bone fracture.

After a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic scan, Nancy’s doctor discovered that her osteoporosis had caused one of her spinal bones to collapse. These fractures cause severe back pain, and over time can lead to a loss of height or the development of a hump. Because it has a compression effect on the lungs and internal organs, the fracture often makes it difficult to eat, sleep and walk, as well as causing other serious symptoms. As Nancy explains, “One of the worst parts about the pain was it even made it hard to catch my breath.”

Osteoporosis-related fractures exact a huge toll on a patient's quality of life and the healthcare system, costing the United States healthcare system more than $18 billion a year — a figure that is expected to grow dramatically as the population ages. Estimates are not available for the cost of osteoporosis in terms of lost work days, productivity and disability.

Fortunately, Nancy’s doctor recommended using a novel procedure to fix her broken vertebra and help restore her life. This minimally invasive treatment for spinal fractures involves inserting two compressed balloons into the vertebral body through a pair of slender tubes. The balloons are inflated to create a cavity in the vertebral body and restore vertebral body height. The balloons are then deflated and removed, and the vertebral cavity is filled with bone cement that acts as an “internal cast,” stabilizing the fracture. Nancy received the treatment and was back on her feet within a day of the surgery.

Aside from this procedure, called kyphoplasty, physicians also can choose a similar minimally invasive treatment, called vertebroplasty, to treat vertebral compression fractures. Given the delicate nature of spinal surgery, there are instances where one approach is superior to the other.

Before these minimally invasive therapies, vertebral compression fractures were treated with narcotic pain medication, bed rest, bracing and physical therapy. Unfortunately, these treatment options do not restore spinal alignment, can exacerbate osteoporosis-related problems and often rob patients of their mobility, deteriorating their quality of life. Over the past twenty years, however, there have been significant improvements made to the traditional surgical procedures in terms of costs, recovery time and success rates.

Studies show that individuals with primary osteoporosis-related compression fractures experienced reduced pain, suffered fewer new vertebral fractures and needed fewer back-pain-related doctors’ visits a year after the kyphoplasty procedure.² Kyphoplasty also has been shown to provide immediate and sustained improvements in function and mobility for patients and a significant improvement in their quality of life.³

Immediately after the procedure was performed, Nancy said she could “finally breathe again!” Although her physician insisted on taking every precaution, Nancy was able to take an extended motorcycle tour with her husband just days after surgery. Today, Nancy is working at a local flower shop and has started taking her three-mile walks again. It has been five years since her treatment, and she has not experienced any back pain or additional fractures. “My back has gotten even stronger over the years,” said Nancy.