Kyphoplasty..anybody had this procedure

[Kingfisher]

Wife had mtn bike accident two wks ago, compression fracture of L2 vertebrae at 50%. Still in pain and been in a brace for over a week. 67 year old, very active and in shape. Have first ortho doc appt this Tuesday.
Anyone else been in this situation or have this done. Bed rest does not seem to make a difference in this injury.
Thanks for input

[oldpotatoe]

Wife had mtn bike accident two wks ago, compression fracture of L2 vertebrae at 50%. Still in pain and been in a brace for over a week. 67 year old, very active and in shape. Have first ortho doc appt this Tuesday.
Anyone else been in this situation or have this done. Bed rest does not seem to make a difference in this injury.
Thanks for input

Been in that situation and I'm no Doc and every back problem is unique but I was in a brace for 3 months...compression fracture of L1 and L3..Burst fracture of L1...my back still bothers me. I'm nearly 2 inches shorter...my ortho/nuero quacks both said brace and rest..took me a long time and 13 years later, still have moments..mostly around my QL..quadratus Lumbar muscle, on one side. Since my spine is shorter, where this thing attaches is kinda confused..so it gets sore. PT and regular massage helped a LOT...

Good luck..had another ER Doc who said(the guy, my friend, who actually saw me in the ER after I got hit, by P/U truck, while riding-10:30 AM, that's another story), 'we understand less about the back than the brain, and we don't understand the brain'...he was glad nobody went rooting around in my back.

[2LeftCleats]

Kyphoplasty is one of those procedures that seems like it ought to work, but studies show that for most it doesn't improve long term results.

Compression fractures are painful and often take 6-8 weeks for pain to become more manageable. Just like other broken bones.

One other thing to be aware of is that when the back breaks, the bowels shut down--especially if narcotics are used, so be proactive dealing with constipation.

(Maybe TMI)

[oldpotatoe]

Kyphoplasty is one of those procedures that seems like it ought to work, but studies show that for most it doesn't improve long term results.

Compression fractures are painful and often take 6-8 weeks for pain to become more manageable. Just like other broken bones.

One other thing to be aware of is that when the back breaks, the bowels shut down--especially if narcotics are used, so be proactive dealing with constipation.

(Maybe TMI)

10-4..BTDT..had to get an extension on the loo seat cuz couldn't sit so low w/o pain.

[2LeftCleats]

I should also mention that at 67 with a compression fracture, she probably needs evaluation of bone density and possible treatment to prevent future spine or other fractures.

[thwart]

Good luck..had another ER Doc who said(the guy, my friend, who actually saw me in the ER after I got hit, by P/U truck, while riding-10:30 AM, that's another story), 'we understand less about the back than the brain, and we don't understand the brain'...he was glad nobody went rooting around in my back.

Sounds like your friend gave some good advice.

If my wife had a compression fracture in her lumbar spine, I would definitely encourage her to get a second opinion before going through a kyphoplasty.

[VT Skier]

If kyphoplasty is being recommended that quickly, sounds like she may already have some osteoporosis?

I agree with OP -- every back is different, and every injury to the back is different. I've had more than my share of spinal fractures, and I wouldn't recommend anything invasive after only two weeks. Once a doctor goes in there, there's no reversing what he or she does.

For aggressive treatment, I'd wait 4-6 more weeks for the fractures to heal, try physical therapy for at least another two months, have more images taken if the pain is still bad, and then consider something invasive. For more conservative treatment, I would wait at least 6-9 months before surgery, and probably up to a year. In either case, I would get a second opinion, and maybe even a third.

[VTCaraco]

I've wrestled with lower back issues for a long time.
Went through a really bad stretch 2 years ago where I simply felt like the local doc wasn't listening as deeply as I wanted/needed.
My folks mentioned a whiz-bang doc near home (about 2 hours away) and I made an appt for a second-opinion. He confirmed the course of action I was following as appropriate, but gave me so much more confidence. I digressed from there and had him do a surgery (or two...listen to what they tell you about recovery time).
Having significant issues again. Just had the MRI a few hours ago, in fact. And the sense of calm I have given the confidence I have in my doc makes this so much better. I am 100% confident that he'll have me comfortable again...just a question of how many steps to get there.

[Kingfisher]

Doc hasn't recommended kyphoplasty, just my research into treatment. I just want her better and can't imagine this continuing on for months, but maybe that is what it will take??