A painful vertebral compression fracture can make standing, walking, sleeping, and everyday movement difficult. Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to stabilize selected compression fractures by placing bone cement directly into the fractured vertebral body.
The procedure is performed with image guidance through a small needle or working cannula. Unlike kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty does not typically use a balloon to create a cavity before cement is placed.
At Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists, Dr. Zwade Marshall and Dr. Jennifer Xiong evaluate your symptoms, imaging, fracture characteristics, medical history, and previous treatment to determine whether vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, conservative care, or another option may be appropriate.
Request an Appointment or call (404) 618-0995 to schedule an evaluation at our Fayetteville, Marietta, or Atlanta office.
What Is Vertebroplasty?
Vertebroplasty is a percutaneous vertebral augmentation procedure used to stabilize selected painful vertebral compression fractures.
A vertebral compression fracture occurs when part of a vertebral body collapses or becomes compressed. These fractures are commonly associated with osteoporosis but can also occur after trauma or in bone weakened by certain diseases.
During vertebroplasty, a physician uses fluoroscopic image guidance to position a needle or working cannula within the fractured vertebra. Bone cement is then carefully injected into the vertebral body to stabilize the fracture and reduce painful movement within the bone.
Vertebroplasty does not typically use a balloon to create a cavity or attempt to restore vertebral height before cement placement. Its primary purpose is fracture stabilization.
The procedure does not cure osteoporosis or guarantee complete pain relief, and careful patient selection is important because not every vertebral compression fracture requires augmentation.
Who May Be a Candidate for Vertebroplasty?
Your physician may consider vertebroplasty when a vertebral compression fracture appears to be a significant source of ongoing pain and the clinical and imaging findings support vertebral augmentation.
You may be evaluated for vertebroplasty if you have:
- Localized back pain that corresponds with a vertebral compression fracture on imaging
- A recent or still-active painful fracture that has not improved enough with appropriate conservative treatment
- Difficulty standing, walking, sleeping, or performing daily activities because of fracture-related pain
- An osteoporotic compression fracture
- A selected fracture associated with trauma or bone weakened by another medical condition
- A fracture pattern and spinal anatomy that can be treated safely with cement augmentation
Vertebroplasty is not appropriate for every compression fracture. Some fractures improve with conservative care, while others may require surgical evaluation or another treatment because of instability, neurologic compromise, infection, tumor-related considerations, or the location and age of the fracture.
Your provider will review your symptoms, neurologic examination, imaging, medications, bone health, and other medical conditions before recommending the procedure.
What Conditions Can Vertebroplasty Treat?
Vertebroplasty is primarily considered for selected painful vertebral compression fractures rather than for general back pain.
Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures
Osteoporosis weakens bone and increases the risk of vertebral compression fractures, sometimes after relatively minor stress. When a fracture remains painful and imaging suggests that it is still clinically active, vertebroplasty may be considered in selected patients.
Compression Fractures After Trauma
Some vertebral compression fractures occur after a fall, accident, or other injury. Whether vertebroplasty is appropriate depends on the fracture pattern, stability, neurologic findings, and overall clinical picture.
Fractures in Bone Weakened by Disease
Certain diseases, including some cancers involving bone, can weaken a vertebral body and contribute to a painful fracture. These cases require individualized evaluation and coordination with the appropriate specialists before vertebral augmentation is considered.
Painful Vertebral Collapse
Selected patients with painful vertebral body collapse may be evaluated when symptoms and imaging suggest that the fracture itself is a major pain generator.
Vertebroplasty is not a treatment for every cause of back pain. Disc disease, spinal stenosis, facet pain, nerve compression, muscle pain, and other conditions require different treatment approaches.
Vertebroplasty vs. Kyphoplasty
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are both minimally invasive vertebral augmentation procedures used to stabilize selected painful compression fractures, but the techniques differ.
Vertebroplasty
Vertebroplasty generally involves placing bone cement directly into the fractured vertebral body through an image-guided needle or working cannula. A balloon is not typically used before cement placement.
Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty uses a balloon or another cavity-creating device inside the vertebral body before bone cement is placed. This can create space for the cement and may allow partial restoration of vertebral height in selected fractures.
Neither procedure is automatically better for every patient. The appropriate approach depends on the fracture, spinal level, vertebral shape, timing, bone quality, imaging findings, and the physician’s assessment of risks and treatment goals.
How Does Vertebroplasty Work?
Vertebroplasty stabilizes a painful vertebral compression fracture by placing bone cement directly into the affected vertebral body.
Using fluoroscopic image guidance, the physician advances a needle or working cannula through the back and into the fractured vertebra. The position is checked carefully before cement is injected.
The bone cement is delivered in a controlled manner while the physician monitors its distribution with imaging. The cement hardens inside the vertebral body and helps reduce movement at the fracture site.
The needle or cannula is then removed and the access site is covered with a dressing.
The exact approach, number of vertebrae treated, anesthesia plan, and procedure setting depend on the fracture and your medical needs.
What to Expect During Vertebroplasty
Vertebroplasty is performed with image guidance and an anesthesia plan selected for your health and the procedure being performed.
You are typically positioned on your stomach so the physician can access the affected vertebra from the back. The treatment area is cleaned and prepared, and medications are used for comfort according to your anesthesia plan.
Fluoroscopy is used to guide the needle or working cannula into the fractured vertebra and to monitor cement placement.
You may have one or more small access sites depending on the vertebral level and technique. After the cement has been placed and the instruments are removed, the access sites are dressed and you are monitored during recovery.
What to Expect Before, During, and After Vertebroplasty
Before the Procedure
Your physician will review your symptoms and imaging to determine whether the identified compression fracture is likely responsible for your pain. Additional imaging may be needed to assess fracture age, anatomy, and activity.
Before your procedure, tell your care team if you:
- Take blood-thinning or antiplatelet medications
- Have an active infection, fever, or illness
- Have allergies to medications, contrast material, cement components, or other substances
- Have significant heart, lung, kidney, or other medical conditions
- Have a history of cancer or another condition affecting bone
- Are pregnant or may be pregnant
- Have had recent changes in your health
Do not stop prescription medications unless the prescribing or treating clinician specifically instructs you to do so. Follow the office instructions regarding eating, drinking, medications, transportation, and arrival time.
During the Procedure
Your physician uses fluoroscopic guidance to access the fractured vertebra and carefully place bone cement into the vertebral body. Your anesthesia and monitoring plan will be tailored to your medical needs.
After the Procedure
You will be monitored as the effects of anesthesia or sedation wear off. Temporary soreness around the access site can occur.
Your care team will give you instructions regarding wound care, driving, medications, lifting, activity, and return to work or exercise. Some patients notice improvement relatively soon after stabilization, while others improve more gradually.
Contact the office promptly if you develop fever, worsening redness or drainage, new weakness or numbness, severe or rapidly worsening pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms.
Risks, Side Effects, and Safety Considerations
Vertebroplasty is minimally invasive, but it is still a spinal procedure and carries potential risks.
Possible complications include:
- Bleeding or hematoma
- Infection
- Medication or anesthesia-related reactions
- Temporary or persistent pain at the procedure site
- Leakage of bone cement outside the vertebral body
- Nerve irritation or injury
- Spinal canal or nerve-root compression from cement or other material
- Blood-vessel injury or embolic complications
- Fracture of another vertebra in the future
- Need for additional treatment or surgery
Many cement leaks do not cause symptoms, but leakage into the spinal canal, nearby nerves, blood vessels, or other structures can be serious. The overall risk depends on the fracture pattern, spinal level, anatomy, bone quality, medical conditions, and technical factors.
Your physician will review the expected benefits, alternatives, and risks that apply to your individual situation before recommending vertebroplasty.
How Soon Can Vertebroplasty Help?
The timing and degree of improvement vary from patient to patient.
Some patients notice less fracture-related pain relatively soon after the procedure, while others improve over several days as procedural soreness subsides and activity gradually increases.
The response depends on factors such as whether the treated fracture was the primary source of pain, the age and severity of the fracture, other spinal conditions, bone quality, and overall health.
Vertebroplasty does not guarantee complete pain relief. Persistent pain after treatment may come from another fracture, degenerative spinal changes, muscles, joints, nerves, or another condition.
How Long Can the Benefits of Vertebroplasty Last?
Bone cement is intended to provide durable stabilization of the treated vertebral body, but long-term symptoms depend on more than the treated fracture alone.
If the compression fracture was the main pain source and it is successfully stabilized, improvement can persist. However, vertebroplasty does not treat osteoporosis itself and does not eliminate the risk of future vertebral fractures.
Long-term care may include:
- Evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis or other causes of weakened bone
- Fall-risk reduction
- Physical therapy or a gradual strengthening program when appropriate
- Nutrition and bone-health recommendations from the appropriate clinician
- Follow-up imaging when symptoms or clinical findings warrant it
New or recurrent back pain after vertebroplasty should be evaluated rather than assumed to be coming from the treated vertebra.
Can More Than One Compression Fracture Be Treated?
Some patients have more than one vertebral compression fracture. Whether multiple levels can or should be treated depends on the number and location of fractures, which fractures appear to be painful and active, the patient’s medical condition, bone quality, and procedural considerations.
Your physician will correlate the pain pattern with imaging before deciding which vertebra or vertebrae, if any, should be treated.
A previous vertebroplasty does not prevent treatment of a different painful compression fracture in the future when that new fracture is appropriately evaluated and meets treatment criteria.
Because recurrent compression fractures may indicate underlying osteoporosis or another bone disorder, treatment of bone health remains an important part of long-term care.
What Happens If Vertebroplasty Does Not Relieve My Pain?
If pain does not improve as expected after vertebroplasty, your provider may reassess whether the treated fracture was the only source of symptoms and whether another condition is contributing.
Depending on the clinical findings, the next step could include:
- Repeat physical and neurologic examination
- Additional imaging to evaluate the treated vertebra and surrounding levels
- Assessment for a new or additional compression fracture
- Evaluation for disc, facet joint, sacroiliac joint, nerve-related, muscular, or other sources of back pain
- Physical therapy or rehabilitation when appropriate
- Medication adjustments
- Referral for osteoporosis or other bone-health management
- Surgical evaluation if instability, neurologic compromise, or another surgically treatable problem is identified
The goal is to identify the actual source of persistent pain rather than assuming that additional vertebral augmentation is automatically needed.
Why Choose Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists?
Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists provides comprehensive interventional pain management for patients with spine-related and chronic pain conditions.
Our physicians, Dr. Zwade Marshall and Dr. Jennifer Xiong, are Harvard-trained, double-board certified anesthesiologists and interventional pain management specialists.
Dr. Marshall is the founder and chief medical officer of Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists and completed his anesthesiology residency and interventional pain management training at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Xiong completed her anesthesiology residency and fellowship training in interventional pain management at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her approach emphasizes compassionate, patient-centered care focused on function and quality of life.
Our approach to vertebroplasty includes:
- Individualized evaluation to confirm that a compression fracture is likely contributing to your pain
- Review of imaging and fracture characteristics before recommending vertebral augmentation
- Fluoroscopic image guidance
- Careful consideration of vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, conservative care, and surgical referral when appropriate
- Attention to future fracture risk and underlying bone health
- Access to additional pain management options when the compression fracture is not the only pain source
- Care focused on function and quality of life rather than promising a specific outcome
Vertebroplasty Care in Fayetteville, Marietta, and Atlanta
Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists offers vertebroplasty evaluation and treatment through our offices in Fayetteville, Marietta, and Atlanta.
Fayetteville
Our Fayetteville pain management clinic is located at:
874 West Lanier Ave., Suite 250
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Marietta
Our Marietta pain management clinic is located at:
3939 Roswell Road, Suite 240
Marietta, GA 30062
Atlanta
Our Atlanta pain management clinic is located in Buckhead at:
371 E Paces Ferry Rd NE, Suite 802
Atlanta, GA 30305
Evaluation, follow-up, and procedure scheduling may vary by location. Our team will let you know where your appointment or procedure will take place based on your treatment plan.
For questions about scheduling, call (404) 618-0995 or contact Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vertebroplasty
Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive vertebral augmentation procedure used to stabilize selected painful vertebral compression fractures by placing bone cement directly into the fractured vertebral body.
Vertebroplasty is primarily considered for selected painful vertebral compression fractures, most commonly those related to osteoporosis. Some traumatic fractures or fractures in bone weakened by disease may also be evaluated depending on the clinical situation.
Vertebroplasty generally places bone cement directly into the fractured vertebra. Kyphoplasty creates a cavity with a balloon or another device before cement is placed and may partially restore vertebral height in selected fractures.
Vertebroplasty is primarily intended to stabilize the fracture and does not typically use a balloon to restore height before cement placement.
No. Vertebroplasty stabilizes a selected compression fracture but does not treat the underlying osteoporosis. Bone-health evaluation and treatment may still be needed to reduce future fracture risk.
Some patients notice improvement relatively soon after the procedure, while others improve over several days. The amount and timing of relief vary and depend on whether the treated fracture was the primary source of pain and on other health factors.
Recovery varies by patient and procedure. Patients receive individualized instructions for wound care, driving, lifting, activity, medications, and return to work or exercise.
Sometimes. Whether multiple vertebrae should be treated depends on which fractures are painful and active, their location, the patient’s medical condition, and procedural considerations.
Potential risks include bleeding, infection, anesthesia-related reactions, cement leakage, nerve injury, neurologic or vascular complications, persistent pain, future fractures, and the need for additional treatment or surgery.
Yes. Vertebroplasty stabilizes the treated vertebra but does not eliminate the risk of future fractures, particularly when osteoporosis or another bone-weakening condition is present.
Your provider may reassess the treated level and evaluate for another compression fracture or a different source of back pain, such as discs, joints, nerves, muscles, or another spinal condition.
Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists offers vertebroplasty evaluation and treatment through our Fayetteville, Marietta, and Atlanta, Georgia locations. Our scheduling team will confirm the appropriate location for your evaluation and procedure.
Schedule an Appointment for Vertebroplasty Evaluation
A painful vertebral compression fracture can make standing, walking, sleeping, and ordinary daily activities difficult. If imaging shows a compression fracture that appears to match your pain, vertebroplasty may be one treatment option to consider.
Dr. Zwade Marshall and Dr. Jennifer Xiong can review your symptoms, imaging, medical history, previous treatment, and bone-health considerations to help determine whether vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, conservative care, or another treatment better fits your condition.
Request an Appointment online or call (404) 618-0995 to schedule with Regenerative Spine and Pain Specialists.
Patients can also review our financial options or contact our office with questions before scheduling.