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Bringing You Better Health.

Don’t Let Back Pain
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Tripod-Fix® , a breakthrough in the treatment of vertebral compression fracture (VCF).

Overview

What is vertebral compression fracture?

Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) occurs when one or more vertebrae in the spine collapse due to excessive pressure or weakening of the bone. These fractures are most commonly seen in the thoracic (mid-back) and lumbar (lower back) spine and can cause significant pain, reduced mobility, and spinal deformity.

Symptom

  • Sudden back pain (pain may get better with rest and worse when you move).
  • Limited mobility and flexibility (difficulty standing, walking, bending or twisting).
  • Tingling or numbness in your back (pinched nerves).
  • Tenderness at the fracture site.
  • Muscle weakness or spasms.

A common sign of a compression fracture is a loss of height. The fracture causes the bone to collapse, which may affect how tall you are.

Cause

Pressure on or against the vertebrae in your spine may cause your spinal bones to break and collapse. The primary cause of compression fractures is osteoporosis, also called osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). As bones naturally weaken with age, fractures can occur even during routine activities like standing up, sneezing, coughing, or sudden twisting.

Trauma or injury (such as falls or car accidents) and cancer (when tumors spread to the spine and weaken the bones) are less common causes.

  • Osteoporosis: Your bones naturally weaken with age. Weakened bones are more likely to fracture. Severe osteoporosis fractures may happen while doing daily activities like getting out of a car, sneezing, coughing or twisting suddenly.
  • Injuries or accidents trauma: This could include falls, car accidents or other types of physical trauma.
  •  Cancer: Cancerous tumors can spread to your spine, weaken your vertebrae and cause the bones to break.

Risk Factors

You may be more at risk of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) if you:

  • Are female and have been through menopause.
  • Have a condition that affects the strength of your bones.
  • Are 50 years of age or older.
  • Had a compression fracture before.

Effects

Long-term complications of OVCF may include:

  • A forward-curving spine with a hunched-over appearance (kyphosis).
  • Problems controlling your bladder or bowels.
  • Chronic (long-lasting) pain.
  • Future fracture

Diagnosis and Tests

To diagnose OVCF, your provider will offer a physical exam to learn more about your symptoms. During the exam, your provider:

  • Checks your spine’s alignment and your height and posture.
  • Gently presses on different areas of your back to identify the source of pain.
  • Looks for signs of nerve damage, which may include numbness, tingling or muscle weakness.

Your provider will also recommend imaging tests to see pictures of the bones, muscles and soft tissues in your back. These imaging studies include:

  • A spine X-ray, CT scan or MRI to show images of your spine and look for fractures and other injuries.
  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, which is a special type of X-ray that measures bone loss (bone density test).

In some cases, your provider may find a compression fracture while performing an imaging test for another reason.

Treatment

Non-surgical treatment

  • Bracing: A back brace (such as a Jewett brace or thoracic lumbar sacral orthosis, TLSO) can support the spine while healing.
  • Pain management: Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or opioids can help manage discomfort.
  • Osteoporosis treatment: If osteoporosis is the cause, medications like bisphosphonates, calcium, and vitamin D supplements may be prescribed to prevent future fractures.
  • Physical therapy: Gentle exercises can improve strength and mobility while reducing pain.

Surgical options

⦁ Vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty surgery:

Vertebroplasty (VP) and balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) are earlier-generation vertebral augmentation procedures. VP, involves injecting bone cement directly into the fractured vertebra for stabilization but does not restore height. BKP, improves upon VP by using a balloon to create a cavity before cement injection, allowing for partial vertebral height restoration and kyphotic deformity

  • Tripod-Fix vertebral augmentation surgery:

    An advanced next-generation vertebral augmentation system Mainly for wedge fractures that provides better vertebral height restoration and stability than Vertebroplasty and Balloon Kyphoplasty, reducing the risk of collapse compared to traditional cement injections.

Q&A

If you have a compression fracture, you may want to ask:

What type of fracture do I have?

Your doctor will determine if it’s a mild, moderate, or severe compression fracture using imaging tests.

The treatment plan depends on the severity of your fracture, bone health, and symptoms. It may include pain management, bracing, physical therapy, or surgery if necessary.

Many compression fractures heal with conservative treatment, but surgery (vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, or Tripod-Fix) may be recommended for severe pain or progressive deformity.

Tripod-Fix is a third-generation vertebral support device that stabilizes verterbrae, restore the verterbral height of the fracture for ideal amount of bone cement controlling injection, unlike traditional treatments that rely on only filling the fracture with bone cement, thus lowering surgical operation and long-term complication risks.

Most patients experience pain relief and return to activities after surgery immediately, through recovery time depends on the patient’s overall health and the extent of the procedure.

It is suitable for patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF), especially those who wish to minimize surgical risks and restore a better quality of life.

Strengthen bones with calcium, vitamin D, and weight-bearing exercises. Medications may help if you have osteoporosis. Fall prevention strategies can also reduce fracture risk.

Recovery time varies. Some patients improve in weeks, while others need months. Your doctor will advise on activity levels based on your healing progress.