Management of Painful Vertebral Compression Fracture With Kyphoplasty in a Sever Cardio-Respiratory Compromised Patient

INTRODUCTION: Vertebral body compression fractures due to osteoporosis, often lead to pain and disability which can be successfully treated by injecting cement into the vertebral body, a procedure known as Balloon Kyphoplasty. In this procedure, an inflatable balloon is used to restore vertebral body height before injection of the cement. Vertebral compression fractures have been treated conservatively with the bed rest, pain medications, and back bracing to decrease the patient’s pain, but the spine was left in its deformed state. Open surgical treatment can address the deformity, but it is usually reserved for patients with a neurological deficit. Kyphoplasty have been developed as an alternative to surgery for the treatment of painful vertebral compression fractures. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65 year-old female had a compression fracture and decrease height of L1 due to falling down. She had a local severe pain (VAS 8) and tenderness over L1 to L4 vertebra and in her physical examination, there were not any neurologic deficits or bowel and bladder dysfunction. She had a severe cardiovascular disease with low ejection fraction (30%) and had a pace maker, hypertension, diabetes, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and used about 15 drugs daily. The risk of anesthesia and open surgery was high, therefore she was nominated for the Balloon Kyphoplasty as an interventional procedure. CONCLUSIONS: After Kyphoplasty, her pain was immediately resolved, vertebral body height was restored to normal, and pain score was reduced from 8 to 1. She was discharged with a normal neurological examination and good general condition, and returned to her normal life. In this case, Balloon Kyphoplasty resulted in the restoration of the vertebral body height, decrease in pain, and returning to daily activity. Therefore, this technique can be an appropriate alternative for surgery in cardio-pulmonary compromised patients.