Compression Fracture Surgery Posted: 08-21-07 10:24am
My 83-year-old mother has two compression
fractures in her spine due to
osteoporosis. She is being treated with
calcitonin injections every other day and
pain meds. She has been doing this for
over a month and the pain has not improved
at all. She is in bed almost all the time
due to pain. The orthopedic surgeon
recommends continuing on this regimen for
at least another month. He says that
kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty don't
always work. She is getting so weak due
to inactivity and pain and I am very
concerned about her. How long do we wait
before going ahead with surgery and also
how effective are these surgeries?
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grassy
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 116 Location: northeast
That Is a Good Question. Posted: 08-21-07 11:37am
Hi, I'm cindy.That is a really good
question.? I had a mother who had that
same thing. it was a compression fracture
in the mid back. they never did anything
for her.... except give her that stupid
fosamax, which didnt help. what about her
age tho she is 83? do you think she could
take the surgery and recover.? i belong to
alot of groups where they all have had
spine fusion, and they are not doing so
good. truely. i dont even know if they
can do surgery on a fracture, or would
they be after the compression in her back.
I personally think she is too old, and it
would be too much, but i'm not a doc, just
been thru it with my mother. i'll
bewatching to see what you get for an
answer. Love cindy
