Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that treats painful vertebral compression fractures — most commonly caused by osteoporosis — by inserting a balloon into the collapsed vertebra, inflating it to restore height, and filling the cavity with bone cement. Most patients experience dramatic pain relief within 24–48 hours and go home the same or next day.
What Is Kyphoplasty?
A vertebral compression fracture occurs when one of the spinal vertebrae collapses, most commonly in patients with osteoporosis. The fracture causes sudden, severe back pain and can lead to progressive kyphosis (a forward-hunched posture) if multiple vertebrae are involved. Kyphoplasty is a percutaneous (through-the-skin) procedure that addresses both the pain and the deformity simultaneously.
During kyphoplasty, Dr. Chavarria makes two small incisions in the back and passes hollow instruments into the fractured vertebra under fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance. A balloon is then carefully inflated inside the collapsed bone, restoring vertebral height and creating a cavity. The balloon is deflated and removed, and the cavity is filled with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement that hardens within minutes, stabilizing the fracture and eliminating the painful micro-motion between fracture fragments.
Kyphoplasty differs from the older vertebroplasty technique in that the balloon inflation step attempts to restore vertebral height and creates a low-pressure cavity for cement injection, which reduces the risk of cement leakage compared to direct high-pressure injection. The procedure typically takes 45–60 minutes and can address one or multiple fracture levels in a single session.
Are You a Candidate?
- Patients with painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures that have not responded to 4–6 weeks of conservative treatment (pain medication, bracing, limited activity)
- Patients with acute or subacute fractures (ideally within 3 months of fracture) — older, healed fractures are less likely to benefit
- Patients whose pain is confirmed to originate from the fracture level by MRI (bone marrow edema indicates acute fracture)
- Patients with progressive vertebral collapse causing increasing deformity
- Patients with pathologic fractures due to spinal tumors or metastatic disease may also be candidates — evaluated on an individual basis
- Patients who are not candidates for or have failed bracing and activity modification
What to Expect
Pre-operative: MRI of the spine confirms which level(s) are acutely fractured (bone edema on T2/STIR sequences indicates the painful level). CT may be used to assess fracture morphology and cement filling plan.
Day of surgery: Kyphoplasty is performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia, face-down on a padded table. The procedure takes 45–75 minutes per level. Most patients are discharged home 2–4 hours after surgery.
First 24–48 hours: The majority of patients experience dramatic improvement in fracture pain within the first day. Some residual soreness at the needle entry sites is normal for a few days. Light walking is encouraged immediately.
First week and beyond: Most patients return to their pre-fracture level of activity within 1–2 weeks. Treatment of the underlying osteoporosis — with medications such as bisphosphonates or anti-RANKL agents — is critically important after kyphoplasty to prevent future fractures and is coordinated with the patient's primary care physician or endocrinologist.
Why Choose Dr. Chavarria for Your Kyphoplasty in Reno?
- Dramatic pain relief — most patients improve significantly within 24–48 hours
- Restores vertebral height and reduces kyphotic deformity
- Minimally invasive — needle-sized incisions, no muscle cutting
- Same-day or next-day discharge
- Can treat multiple fracture levels in a single session
- Reduces long-term disability and improves quality of life in osteoporotic fracture patients