Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital: Injecting biological cement to shape the vertebral body
(Baonghean) - The technique of injecting biological cement to create vertebral body shape through the skin has many outstanding advantages, is a new method in treating vertebral collapse.
Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital is one of the pioneering medical units in the province to apply this advanced technique, opening up opportunities for effective, safe and quick treatment for patients.
Pioneering new technique for treating vertebral collapse
Patient Tran Thi Lien (75 years old) in Quy Hop district suffered from a L2 spinal injury 4 months ago. She had been treated in many places but her condition did not improve. She often had back pain, had difficulty walking and doing daily activities, and her health declined. Ms. Lien was admitted to Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital, was examined, diagnosed, and prescribed surgery to reconstruct the vertebral body by doctors of the Neurology and Spine Department using the method of injecting biological cement through the skin.
A short time after the surgery, she recovered and was able to walk and do normal activities. Ms. Lien happily shared: “The surgery was quick, I felt no pain, and after only 1 day I was able to walk. After 3 days, the pain and discomfort before the surgery was gone, I was able to walk and do normal activities and was discharged on the 5th day.”
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| Doctors at Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital inject biological cement to treat a patient's lumbar vertebral collapse. Photo: Dinh Nguyet |
Ms. Tran Thi Lien is one of many patients with vertebral collapse treated at the Department of Neurosurgery - Spine by biological cement injection since the beginning of the year. Previously, patients with vertebral collapse were often treated by open surgery if unstable, conservative medical treatment if there was no indication for spinal fixation surgery or referral to a higher level for treatment. Usually, in cases where surgery is not performed, after a period of treatment, the pain at the site of the injury increases, causing difficulties in the patient's daily life and work, and the pain can last for a long time, causing the patient to become weak and lose sleep. Currently, Nghe An Trauma - Orthopedics Hospital is the pioneer in the area to deploy this advanced treatment technique with many outstanding advantages compared to previous treatment methods.
Vertebral collapse is a condition in which the vertebrae are deformed and lose height, most commonly thoracic and lumbar vertebral collapse. Causes: Osteoporosis, trauma, primary or metastatic spinal cancer... When experiencing symptoms of vertebral collapse such as: Back pain, increased pain when standing or walking, limited movement, hunchback or loss of mobility... patients need to be treated promptly to prevent complications.
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| Technique of injecting biological cement to shape the vertebral body. Illustration photo |
To successfully implement this method, it requires a team of doctors with high technical expertise in spinal surgery. The hospital invests in a sterile operating room system, equipped with modern specialized medical equipment: Non-contrast surgical table, 3D C-Arm system, Biological cement injection tool kit.
Advanced treatment methods
According to Master, Doctor Tran Van Bien - Head of Neurosurgery - Spine, the technique of injecting biological cement to treat lumbar vertebral collapse is carried out according to the following procedure: The patient lies prone, is anesthetized locally, the doctor will use a special needle (Trocar) to puncture from the skin into the pedicle and into the vertebral body under the guidance of C-Arm 3D (X-ray guidance system in surgery). Next, the examination and injection of biological cement into the vertebral body is carried out. Biological cement injected into the vertebral body has the effect of reattaching micro-fractures, making the vertebral body stable, firm, regaining the original vertebral height, and increasing the endurance of the vertebral body. |
| To successfully perform the technique of injecting biological cement to create a vertebral body through the skin requires a team of doctors with high technical expertise in spinal surgery. Photo: Dinh Nguyet |
This new treatment technique has many outstanding advantages, overcoming the disadvantages of previous methods such as: Shortened surgery time, no pain, stable vertebral body, no blood loss, less time consuming and avoiding the risk of hunchback and vertebral slippage later. This is a minimally invasive method, small incision (about 0.5 cm). After just a few hours of surgery, the patient can sit up and walk normally; quick recovery.
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| Patient Tran Thi Lien was able to sit up and walk normally right after surgery. Photo: Dinh Nguyet |
In the coming time, Nghe An Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital will continue to deploy the technique of injecting biological cement to shape the vertebral body and treat kyphosis due to vertebral collapse routinely, improving the effectiveness of treating spinal diseases in particular and the field of trauma and orthopedics in general.
Currently, each year, at the Department of Neurosurgery - Spine, there are an average of 200 surgeries for spinal diseases including: Lumbar and cervical disc herniation; spinal degeneration, spinal trauma causing vertebral collapse, spinal stenosis, spinal tumors, metastatic cancer... Modern technical methods are deployed to improve the effectiveness of treatment for patients with spinal diseases and become a trusted address for people in the area.
