It may take several weeks before patients can resume full activity. In some cases, physicians will recommend a short course of physical therapy. If a patient undergoes the procedure soon after each fracture, deformity could be minimized. The Montefiore Medical Center in New York performs approximately 30 neurointerventions per month, including many vertebroplasty surgeries to treat spinal fractures. Jacqueline A. Bello, MD, director of neuroradiology at the Montefiore Medical Center believes minimally invasive neurointerventions are going to become more commonplace in the future.
Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that primarily affects post-menopausal women.
A loss of bone density causes bones to become brittle, and in turn, leads to frequent fractures and other serious effects. Within weeks, more fractures may occur which can lead to a loss of height. Older women who are affected by osteoporosis-induced spinal fractures generally lose weight and develop a hunched back. Copyright 1997-2001 Imaginis Corporation. All rights reserved.