Medtronic's balloon kyphoplasty system best for vertebral compression fractures – study
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Medtronic's KyphX balloon kyphoplasty system is better for treating vertebral compression fractures than non-surgical care, the largest study on the technique to date has found. The 300-patient trial met its primary endpoint, change in short-form 36 physical component summary score – there was a significant improvement in kyphoplasty-treated patients compared with the control group (7.2-point and 2-point improvements, respectively). There was no difference in the frequency of adverse events between the groups. Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure that uses a balloon to restore vertebral height, followed by injected bone filler material to stabilise fractured vertebrae. The findings were published online in The Lancet on February 25.