What “minor surgery” can treat compression fractures of the spine in the elderly?

  A geriatric spinal compression fracture was successfully treated in a 61-year-old patient by applying a minimally invasive percutaneous bone expansion system for posterior convex vertebroplasty. The patient was able to get out of bed the day after the operation, and the pain was rapidly relieved and he walked freely. In the past, most elderly patients with spinal compression fractures were treated conservatively with bed rest and pain medication, while a few patients required open surgery and had poor results due to factors such as loosening of internal fixation. Percutaneous retroconvex vertebroplasty is a new minimally invasive technique developed on the basis of percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of osteoporosis, spinal compression fractures, vertebral metastases, myeloma, hemangioma and other diseases. The surgical incision is only 3-4 mm, bleeding is about 10-30 ml, and the operation takes about 30 minutes.  This surgery can avoid the disadvantages of traditional open surgery, such as large trauma and slow recovery, as well as the disadvantages of bed-ridden conservative treatment, such as complications caused by pneumonia and long treatment time, with good results.