Kyphon Balloon - Kyphoplasty

Patients suffering from compression fractures of the spine can undergo a minimally invasive procedure called balloon kyphoplasty.  In this, a surgeon places a small balloon to reposition the fragments and then cements the bone to hold it in place. Most bone cements are made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, aka Plexiglas) and a co-polymer that hardens plastics.  Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN) has recently introduced bone cement that adds to PMMA a natural hardening substance found in bones and teeth, hydroxyaptite.  After extensive testing, Medtronic found no evidence of inflammation, from hydroxyaptite crystal formation, as others have seen with this material in the past.               MORE

Image Credit: Medtronic.com