Instant pain relief and return to an active life at any age

Intolerable back pain in older people is often attributed to “ordinary sciatica” or old age. However, very often the cause of sudden pain, due to which a person literally cannot get out of bed, is a compression fracture of the vertebra against the background of osteoporosis. Previously, such patients were doomed to lie for months in rigid corsets, suffering from pain.

Today, neurosurgery offers a revolutionary solution — percutaneous vertebroplasty. At St. Luke’s Clinic, we perform this minimally invasive procedure (“injection” of bone cement), which allows an elderly person to forget about pain and independently go home within a few hours after the manipulation.

What is an osteoporotic fracture?

Osteoporosis is a “silent epidemic”. With age (especially in women after menopause), calcium is leached from the bones, and they become brittle, like a sponge. In such a state, a vertebra can break (flatten) not from a strong blow or fall, but simply from a sharp bend, lifting a heavy bag, driving on a bumpy road, or even a strong cough.

A broken vertebra presses on nerve endings, causing acute pain. If it is not strengthened, it will continue to collapse, leading to the formation of a senile “hump” and disability.

Vertebroplasty: how does “bone cement” save the spine?

Vertebroplasty is not a classic operation. There is no scalpel, incisions, or stitches. The entire procedure is performed through one small skin puncture on the back.

1. Safe anesthesia: The manipulation is ideal for elderly people with concomitant heart diseases, as it does not require deep general anesthesia. We use high-quality local anesthesia and light sedation (the patient dozes but breathes independently).
2. Jeweler’s precision: The surgeon works under continuous X-ray control (image intensifier navigation). A thin needle is inserted precisely into the body of the fractured vertebra.
3. Cement injection: Through the needle, the doctor slowly injects a special medical polymer — “bone cement”.
4. Double effect: The cement hardens within 10–15 minutes. During solidification, it releases heat (up to 70°C), which “turns off” the pain nerve endings in the vertebra — the pain disappears instantly! The hardened cement firmly binds the bone fragments, turning the fragile vertebra into the strongest element of your spine.

Advantages of vertebroplasty at St. Luke’s Clinic

• Speed: The entire manipulation takes about 30–40 minutes per vertebra.
• Instant result: The patient feels significant relief or complete disappearance of pain immediately after waking up.
• Early activation: Already 2-3 hours after the procedure, the doctor will allow you to sit up, stand up, and walk independently. Prolonged bed rest is no longer needed!
• Minimal risk: The absence of incisions reduces the risk of infection and blood loss almost to zero.

Rehabilitation after “cementing”

This is a “one-day” surgery procedure. In most cases, patients are discharged home the next morning. The puncture site (covered with a regular plaster) heals in a few days.

Subsequently, you will be advised to avoid lifting weights over 3-5 kg during the first month, and also to consult an endocrinologist or rheumatologist for medical treatment of osteoporosis itself (to protect other vertebrae from fractures).

Do not let osteoporosis confine you or your loved ones to bed. Make an appointment for a consultation with the neurosurgeons of St. Luke’s Clinic to quickly and safely regain the joy of movement!