Rapid treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures

  Osteoporosis is the most prevalent skeletal disease in humans and has become a major threat to human health, with the worldwide prevalence of osteoporosis rising to the 7th highest among chronic diseases.  Osteoporosis mainly affects postmenopausal women and older men, and its prevalence is increasing significantly with the aging of society.  The World Health Organization (WHO) defines osteoporosis as a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microstructural destruction of bone tissue, which results in increased brittleness of the bones and susceptibility to fracture.  Fractures are a direct consequence of osteoporosis, with vertebral fractures being the most common. Once an osteoporotic fracture occurs, the patient will suffer from physical and mental pain, and the ensuing complications will greatly reduce the patient’s quality of life, and even endanger life; the osteoporotic fracture inevitably requires bed rest and braking, which results in rapid bone loss, a continuous decrease in bone density within 3-6 months after the fracture, and a much higher rate of fracture reoccurrence.  I use a method called “vertebroplasty”, in which a cement called “bone cement” is injected into the fractured vertebrae to reset and fix the fractured vertebrae, which can quickly play a role in fixation and pain relief, so that the patient’s pain disappears immediately after surgery and can walk freely. The pain disappears immediately after surgery and the patient can walk around freely.  The rapid treatment is also reflected in the ease and speed of the procedure. If skilled, a single vertebral fracture can be completed in as little as 15 minutes with this minimally invasive procedure.  The minimally invasive procedure for a fracture is as follows (I completed the procedure in only 11 minutes): Figure 1: MRI of the 9th thoracic vertebra fracture Figure 2: Minimally invasive puncture needle inserted into the fractured vertebra Figure 3: “Balloon” inserted to prop up and reset the compressed vertebra Figure 4: “Balloon” Figure 5: Injection of “adhesive” bone cement into the fractured vertebra Figure 6: Fracture repositioning and fixation in front and side X-rays