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Fixing a Fractured Spine

2,485 views · Published 22 October 2015 · 1:28 · Indexed 28 October 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2015 · Science & Technology

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It’s part of the graying of America. As baby boomers get older, more than 40 million people in this country are at risk for osteoporosis and spine fractures.

“When you get osteoporosis, or thinning of the bone, they tend to thin out, become less numerous and so the bone can actually crunch down,” says Dr. Andrew Gross, who is a pain management specialist on medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System. 

Even a minor movement can cause the fracture, something so slight people don’t always feel it, but the result can be painful and disfiguring.

“You lose the height of that bone, it swells, it becomes very painful and it can lead to kyphosis, where you slouch forward. It can lead to scoliosis if it rotates, if it’s really unstable it can create fragments back towards the spine,” says Dr. Gross. 

People with severe cases that are causing pain may benefit from an almost painless procedure. Called kyphoplasty, it reinforces the bone from the inside. Doctors insert a needle directly into the effected vertebrae and inflate a tiny balloon, which gives them the space they need to create an internal cast. 

“The procedure itself is really geared toward expanding the vertebrae back as much as possible with a balloon and then putting the cement in to stabilize it,” says Dr. Gross. 

It is a fast fix with little downtime. 

“You can actually push that swelling out and get rid of the pain almost instantly,” says Dr. Gross. 

Their spine mended, many people can get back to the life they enjoy. 

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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