Operation improves back pain

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A procedure called vertebroplasty improves pain and increases activity level among those with osteoporosis.
Some patients with osteoporosis have painful compression fractures in the spine which can limit daily activity. A team at the Mayo Clinic now reveals how this problem can be alleviated by a procedure called vertebroplasty. This involves injecting medical cement into the fractures.

In this study, a group of 113 patients who had undergone the procedure was reviewed. This showed that patients' pain during rest and activity improved after the procedure for up to one year. Of course, it is hard to assess pain before and after a procedure and the researchers are working on ways of further refining the measurement of success of vertebroplasty. In particular, they are interested in the role played by the cement itself and are doing a trial in which 'real' and placebo cement is used in the procedure.

Source
American Journal of Neuroradiology November/December 2006

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