Vertebral augmentation is a minimally invasive procedure which treats pain and deformity associated with vertebral body fractures. Patients with osteoporosis, whether primary or due to an underlying cause (such as use of steroids to treat another medical condition), are at risk of bone fractures. Vertebral augmentation for spinal osteoporosis procedure is done under imaging guidance to direct a cannula (small tube and needle) into the collapsed portion of the vertebrae. It's possible that you can inflate a balloon to create a small cavity within the bone and this is termed a balloon kyphoplasty.
If a balloon is used, then the balloon will be inflated and your consultant will carefully inject a cement mixture in to the cavity. The procedure has two advantages. One advantage is to manually provide support to the collapsed vertebrae. The other is that the very hot cement that is injected also burns off a number of nerve endings and this too can reduce patient’s pain. Due to this combination, many patients can see excellent results very quickly after the procedure and can return to normal daily activities in far less pain.