Lumbar Vertebroplasty

About Lumbar Vertebroplasty

Lumbar vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to stabilize and relieve pain from a compression fracture in the lower spine, most commonly caused by osteoporosis, but sometimes by trauma or a tumor weakening the bone. Under imaging guidance, usually fluoroscopy or CT, the physician inserts a thin needle through the skin and directly into the fractured vertebral body, then injects a specialized bone cement that flows into the fracture and hardens within minutes, stabilizing the bone from within and reducing the abnormal movement at the fracture site that causes pain. The procedure is typically performed with local anesthesia and light sedation rather than general anesthesia, and most patients notice significant pain relief within a day or two as the stabilized bone stops flexing painfully with movement. It does not restore any lost vertebral height, which distinguishes it from the related procedure kyphoplasty. Vertebroplasty is generally considered for patients whose fracture-related back pain has not responded adequately to conservative measures such as bracing, pain medication, and activity modification. India's spine and pain management centres offer vertebroplasty as an outpatient or short-stay procedure, particularly useful for older patients seeking a less invasive option than open surgery.