FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Westminster, Md. – Carroll Hospital Center now offers a new minimally invasive treatment to help relieve painful and debilitating vertebral (spine) compression fractures commonly caused by osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. The new procedure is known as kyphoplasty, a technique which attempts to restore the fractured vertebrae to its normal height, thus decreasing pain and reducing any deformities patients with osteoporosis may experience. Kyphoplasty was performed for the first time at Carroll Hospital Center by spinal surgeon, Myles D. Brager, M.D. “Kyphoplasty is a very safe procedure and one of its major advantages is almost immediate pain relief and little to no recovery, allowing patients to resume their normal activities sooner,” Brager said. During the procedure, two small incisions are made on each side of the collapse or fractured vertebrae to insert two balloons. Once in place, the balloons are inflated, returning the vertebrae to its normal height and creating a space into which bone cement is injected, stabilizing the fracture. Kyphoplasty generally takes less than an hour to treat one fracture and most patients require only a single night’s hospital stay and return to normal activities within a few weeks. “Kyphoplasty is an effective treatment option for patients who are debilitated by the pain and immobility that occurs as a result of vertebral compression fractures,” said Brager. “Up to an inch or more of height can be lost following these severe fractures. This procedure offers the added benefit of repositioning the fractured vertebrae into a more normal, upright alignment.” Kyphoplasty is considered an enhancement of another minimally invasive procedure called vertebroplasty, which also involves placement of bone cement in the fractured bone. But in vertebroplasty, balloons are not used to restore vertebrae to normal height. Kyphoplasty also carries less risk of bone cement leaking outside the vertebrae than vertebroplasty. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis causes 700,000 vertebral compression fractures each year. These fractures are more than twice as common as the spinal fractures many people associate with osteoporosis. When a vertebrae collapses, a deformity forms in the back and the person begins to hunch forward, a condition known as kyphosis or “dowager’s hump. Vertebral compression fractures can also cause numerous health problems including chronic pain, difficulty walking, sleep disorders, eating difficulties and an increased risk of serious lung disorders. Brager pointed out that kyphoplasty can also benefit patients whose vertebral compression fractures are due to less common causes, including bone cancers. “Patients should be thoroughly examined by a spine specialist to make sure that the spinal deformity and pain are caused by a bone fracture that can be corrected,” said Brager. "For the right patient, kyphoplasty can mean the difference between being bedridden and in pain and being active and pain free.” Founded in 1961 as Carroll County General Hospital, Carroll Hospital Center is a nonprofit, acute care facility offering a continuum of services, including comprehensive inpatient, outpatient and community programs.