Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty
THORACIC
PROCEDURES SAN FRANCISCO
Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty in San Francisco
For a majority of osteoporotic compression fractures without significant compromise of the spinal canal, we can do a less invasive procedure with cement augmentation of the vertebra. We do utilize three distinct procedures—
(1) vertebroplasty, when cement is injected into the vertebra through a large needle under x-ray guidance
(2) balloon kyphoplasty, similar to the above, but prior to the cement injection a balloon is inflated inside the vertebra, which partially lifts the collapsed vertebra and then creates a cavity, and then under the relatively low pressure, the cavity is filled with the same bone cement.
(3) The third procedure, which holds the most promise, is called KIVA. This involves placing a coil made out of a plastic called PEEK, which has the same stiffness and strength as that of normal bone. Once the PEEK coil is deployed, a small volume of cement is injected around the PEEK.
The advantage of the KIVA procedure is similar to balloon kyphoplasty; it restores the vertebral body height, but the main difference is that instead of creating a stiff ball of cement, we create a relatively pliable ball of PEEK coil, inside of which there is a smaller volume of bone cement, so at least theoretically the advantage of the KIVA procedure is that the rate of adjacent-level fractures is decreased.
The majority of KIVA procedures here at St. Mary’s are done by Dr. Ken Hsu, who has experience with hundreds of similar procedures and thousands of vertebroplasty procedures.
to find out if your a good candidate for a Vertebroplasty or Kyphoplasty at San Francisco Spinal Surgeons.
