A procedure that injects liquid cement into bones may help some osteoporosis patients. Researchers from the University of Maryland say that the outpatient procedure, called vertebroplasty, can help some people with osteoporosis avoid some of the pain and disfigurement that accompany the disease. In a study presented at the Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, the researchers looked at the effectiveness of vertebroplasty in 30 osteoporosis patients with compression fractures of the spine. Using X-ray imaging to guide them, the doctors inserted a long needle filled with quick-setting cement directly into the damaged vertebra. The researchers then followed the patients for six months. After two weeks, 80 percent of the patients said they experienced significant pain relief. However, the researchers caution that the procedure is not for every patient; only those who are experiencing pain that is localized at the site of the compression fracture are eligible and likely to see good results.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.intelihealth.com 4/22/00
