Etymed
kyphoplasty
Definition
Surgical procedure to correct spinal curvature by inserting a balloon to restore vertebral height and injecting bone cement
Clinical context
A 78-year-old woman presents to the emergency department after a fall at home, complaining of severe back pain. X-rays reveal a compression fracture of T12 vertebra with significant loss of vertebral height. The patient has severe osteoporosis and is not a candidate for traditional spinal fusion surgery.
Mnemonic
KYA - K-Y-O-P - Kyphoplasty helps restore vertebral height and injects bone cement to stabilize the fractured vertebra