In the treatment of spinal problems at the Harley Street Hospital, we offer these two techniques to bring relief to patients so that they are able to get on with their day-to-day activities without difficulty.

• Balloon Kyphoplasty: In this method, the surgeon inserts a balloon into the part where the bone is fractured, hereby restoring height where the bone segment has collapsed. This space can then be injected and filled with a material or substance that we call bone cement. Once inserted it hardens restoring stability in the segment. The hardening process takes just minutes.
• Vertebroplasty: Whereas with Balloon Kyphoplasty the surgeon first uses a balloon to create the gap that needs to be filled, with Vertebroplasty, an imaging device is used to locate the position of the fracture instead. The surgeon then uses high pressure to fill the cavity with bone cement.

Both methods are very useful and efficient for helping to alleviating symptoms for patients quite quickly. Reports have shown that over 70 percent of patients with spinal fractures have recovered stability and mobility as a result of either of these methods.

Before treating patients with Balloon Kyphoplasty or Vertebroplasty at the London Spine Unit, our consultant spine specialists will run a series of tests and examinations using an imaging device to diagnose the extent of the problem.