Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are minimally invasive spinal procedures in which bone cement is injected through a small hole in the skin (percutaneously) into a fractured vertebra with the goal of relieving back pain caused by vertebral compression fractures. These fractures can be caused by either osteoporosis or other metabolic processes such as tumor. Careful selection of patients is necessary to ensure success.
Bone cement in a vertebra (black arrow) as seen on a plain X-ray