Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
Vertebroplasty
Pronunciation: VER-teh-bro-plas-tee
Minimally invasive procedure involving injection of bone cement into fractured vertebral bodies.
Full Definition
Vertebroplasty is a percutaneous procedure where bone cement (usually polymethylmethacrylate) is injected directly into a collapsed or fractured vertebral body to stabilize the fracture and provide pain relief. The procedure is typically performed under fluoroscopic guidance and is commonly used to treat osteoporotic compression fractures. Unlike kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty does not involve balloon expansion to restore vertebral height before cement injection.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguished from kyphoplasty by the absence of balloon expansion step.
In Context
- "The patient underwent vertebroplasty at L1 for symptomatic osteoporotic compression fracture." — operative report
- "Post-vertebroplasty imaging showed adequate cement fill with no extravasation." — radiology report
Also known as
percutaneous vertebroplasty
Don't confuse with
kyphoplasty