Newspaper Page Text
6A
♦ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2006
Houston Medical offers
new treatment for
osteoporosis fractures
Special to the Journal
Balloon kyphoplasty is a
new, minimally-invasive pro
cedure offered at Houston
Medical Center for patients
suffering from osteoporosis
related compression frac
tures.
“Patients have found this
procedure to be very benefi
cial and effective at return
ing them to their normal
routine,” states Dr. Garrett
Ward, an interventional
radiologist on the medical
staffs of Houston Medical
Center and Perry Hospital.
“Patients experience a reduc
tion in pain, improvement in
quality of life, mobility and
the ability to perform activi
ties of daily living. We have
found this minimally-inva
sive procedure more effec
tive than other treatment
options for spinal compres
sion fractures.”
The procedure is performed
under general anesthesia
and takes approximately 45
minutes to one hour to fin
ish. During the procedure, a
hollow instrument is insert
ed into the patient’s back to
create a pathway to the frac
tured bone, and an orthope
dic balloon is inserted into
the bone creating a cavity.
The radiologist then fills the
hollow cavity with a cement
like substance to hold the
vertebra in place.
Osteoporosis is the condi
tion that causes bones to
shrink and become brittle
and susceptible to frac
ture, and it affects millions
of Americans - 80 per
cent of whom are women.
Researchers estimate that
osteoporosis is the culprit
behind more than 1.5 mil
lion fractures annually. Yet,
osteoporosis is often called
a “silent disease” because
symptoms of bone fragility
may not appear until a per
son experiences a fracture
of the spine, hip or wrist
- a sign that the disease
is already at an advanced
stage.
While a person knows when
they might have broken a hip
or wrist, a fracture of one of
the vertebrae (the segments
of the spine) can go unrec
ognized. “In a spinal column
weakened by osteoporosis, a
vertebral fracture can occur
simply because normal body
weight is too much for the
spine to support resulting in
what is called a compression
fracture,” explains Ward. “A
compression fracture can
occur without a fall. In fact,
it can occur in the course
of an activity as seemingly
harmless as bending to pick
up a newspaper.”
The intensity and dura
tion of pain associated with
a compression fracture can
vary from person to person.
Some people may not even
realize they have fractured
a vertebra, writing their
discomfort off as a back
ache. “Usually the patient
experiences mild to severe
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Dr. Garrett Ward, an interventional radiologist on the
medical staffs of Houston Medical Center and Perry
Hospital, performs the balloon kyphoplasty procedure on
a patient.
What to look
for
The following char
acteristics increase the
likelihood that a person
will develop osteoporo
sis:
■ Female
■ Caucasian or Asian
race
■ Thin, small-boned
frame
■ Broken bones or
stooped posture in older
family members, espe
cially women
■ Estrogen deficiency
due to early menopause
(before age 46) or amen
orrhea (the abnormal
absence of menstrua
tion)
■ Low calcium intake
■ Little or no exercise
■ Cigarette smoking
■ Excessive use of
alcohol
■ Prolonged use of
certain medications
including antinflamma
tory drugs used to treat
asthma, arthritis and
certain cancers, thyroid
hormones and anti-sei
zure drugs.
pain at the site of the frac
ture,” comments Ward.
“The pain could radiate out
to the limbs, depending on
whether one vertebra is frac
tured or several, and it may
be accompanied by muscle
spasms.”
Perhaps the most impor
tant symptom of a compres
sion fracture is the loss of
height, which usually occurs
in bursts of one or more
inches. “A woman with osteo
porosis can lose as much as
two inches from her height
in just a few weeks,” says
Ward. “Eventually, she may
lose eight or more inches
from her adult height.”
Because osteoporosis can
not be completely reversed,
prevention of the disease is
extremely important. The
key to preventing osteopo
rosis is proper diet and exer
cise. Studies show that load
bearing exercise plays a very
important role in preventing
osteoporosis both in adoles
cents and adults. Also, a diet
rich in calcium and vitamin
D helps to maintain healthy
bones. Avoidance of smoking
and excessive alcohol intake
also reduces the risk of accel
erated bone loss. People with
a strong risk of osteoporosis
are advised to consult their
physician for a bone mineral
density scan to understand
their fracture risk.
“Osteoporosis is an under
appreciated, underdiagnosed
condition because many
Americans are unaware
that their bone health is in
jeopardy,” comments Ward.
“Taking steps to prevent
bone loss is helpful no mat
ter what your age or condi
tion.”
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Houston Healthcare goes passionately pink for the cure
Special to the Journal
Houston Healthcare cele
brated the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation’s
Passionately Pink for the
CureTM event on Oct. 13.
Employees wore pink to
support the research and
We see people differently.
We see them as individuals.
At Houston Healthcare’s Human Motion Institute, there is only one way to treat our patients—
as individuals. Our leading-edge treatment philosophy combines clinical expertise with a
comprehensive, personalized approach. From the prevention and treatment of arthritis, joint
or back pain to total joint replacement and spine surgery, our clinical teams have designed
our program with one simple goal in mind: keeping our patients healthy and active.
If you or someone you care about has a problem related to motion
' or joint pain, contact us and find out why thousands of individuals
each year choose us as their motion care experts.
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HEALTH
education efforts of the
Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation to
increase awareness of breast
cancer.
It is expected that 212,920
women and 1,729 men in
the United States will be
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Submitted
Perry Hospital staff members, left, and Occupational
Medicine staff members dressed in the pink to cel
ebrate the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s
Passionately Pink for the Cure Oct. 13.
diagnosed with breast can
cer, and more than 41,000
people will die from the dis
ease in 2006 alone. As part
of Breast Cancer Awareness
Month, the Passionately
Pink for the CureTM pro
gram encourages compa
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at Houston Healthcare
www.hhc.org
478.923.9771
Physician Referral & Information
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
nies, schools, organizations
and individuals nationwide
to choose a day during the
month of October to wear
pink to support breast can
cer research, education,
screening and treatment.
Members of the
Medical Staffs of
Houston Medical Center
and Perry Hospital
Daxes Banit. MD
Orthopedic Surgery
Jeffrey C. Easom, DO
Orthopedic Surgery
P. Jeffrey Jarrett, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
Todd E. Kinnebrew, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
K. Scott Malone, MD
Physiatry/Sports Medicine
Derrick D. Phillips, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
J.W. Spivey, Jr., MD
Orthopedic Surgery
George S. Stefanis, MD
Neurosurgery
Daniel B. Wagner, DO
Orthopedic Surgery
William B. Wiley, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
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