| The Spine Center at Sinai Hospital has recently been chosen by the Kyphon Corporation to become the first center of excellence and teaching site in Maryland for Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat spinal fractures.
This is an exciting partnership and will help Sinai Hospital remain number one in Maryland for orthopedic admissions,� said Aleksandar Curcin, M.D., co-director of the Spine Center. It augments the Spine Center�s position in Maryland as a
leader and innovator in spinal procedures, training and research.�
Because the Spine Center at Sinai is Maryland�s only center of excellence and
training site for Kyphoplasty, Curcin and his team will be able to teach other orthopedic surgeons this innovative technique. The Spine Center plans on holding courses throughout the year in an effort to help educate other physicians.
Kyphoplasty is used to correct the damage that�s done to a person�s spine after a vertebral compression fracture (VCF), or spinal fracture, the most common cause which is osteoporosis. Orthopedic balloons are used in an attempt to elevate the bone fragments
of the fractured vertebra and return them to the correct position. The procedure is performed under local or general anesthesia, and typically takes less than an hour. It�s also part of the treatment options for some cancers, including myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow.
A majority of our most recent cases have been preformed on an outpatient
basis,� said Curcin. This means patients can receive immediate and significant pain relief and be home in time for dinner.�
The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that more than 700,000 people each year in the United States will suffer from a spinal fracture, twice the annual number of those who suffer hip fractures. If left untreated, the spinal deformity caused by a VCF can lead to chronic and debilitating pain, decreased lung function, sleep disorders and/or clinical depression. Some studies even show a 23 percent increase in the mortality rate of people with untreated VCF.
The minimally invasive Kyphoplasty procedure addresses both the deformity and pain by stabilizing the fracture and helping to correct the vertebral body deformity. By correcting the problem, patients can experience the elimination or significant reduction in pain and improved mobility, thus reducing their number of days in bed and away from
work. Since 1998 the procedure has been used to help more than 75,000 people.
If you would like to find out more about this or any of the other cutting-edge programs at the Spine Center at Sinai Hospital, call 1-877-41-SPINE.
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