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Osteoporosis, or brittle bones, affects 10 million in
the United States each year and leads to 700,000 painful vertebral
compression fractures caused by the collapsing of weakened bones in
the spine.
Dr. Ira Braun
Dr. Ira Braun, a Pinecrest resident and medical
director of interventional neuroradiology at the Miami Cardiac and
Vascular Institute, has come up with a non-surgical technique that
stabilizes the vertebrae by filling it with bone cement.
The procedure called percutaneous vertebroplasty
helps alleviate pain and improves mobility for patients with fractured
vertebrae.
"Since the bones are brittle, the slightest
trauma can cause a fracture," said Dr. Braun. "One of my
patients fractured a vertebrae as she picked up her cat."
With this procedure, Dr. Braun says he injects a bone
cement into the spine. He uses an X-Ray to "see" and a local
anesthetic then guides a needle through the back into the fractured
vertebra. The injected compound hardens and helps stabilize the bone,
preventing further collapse. The support prevents the pain caused by
bone rubbing against bone.
"Before vertebroplasty, women with spinal
fractures had few options other than a back brace and pain
killers," said Dr. Braun. "In six to 12 hours after this
procedure most patients feel a significant decrease in pain."
The outpatient procedure can be done in one to two
hours and the hospital stay is usually one day.
"Although vertebroplasty is relatively new in the
United States," said Dr. Braun, "it has been performed for
more than 10 years in France. Vertebroplasty is most effective when
the fracture is treated quickly."
Dr. Braun is board-certified in radiology, with a
certificate of added qualification in neuroradiology. He is a Fellow
of the American College of Radiology and is an examiner for the
American Board of Radiology.
The Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, located at
Baptist and South Miami Hospitals, is an affiliate of the Baptist
Health Systems of South Florida.
For more information about percutaneous vertebroplasty,
speak to your doctor or please call 305-598-5990.
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