During National Osteoporosis Awareness Month, Spotlight Is On Innovative Minimally Invasive Procedures To Help People With Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, 80 percent of whom are women. The resultant weakening of bones can lead to compression fractures of the spine causing severe pain, deformity, loss of height, immobilization, and decreased quality of life. One in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their remaining lifetime.1


During National Osteoporosis Awareness Month in May, sponsored by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), Dr. Robert Waldrip, orthopedic spine surgeon of the Desert Mirage Medical Plaza and the Desert Mirage Surgery Center in Surprise, Arizona, is one of the many physicians throughout the world focused on bringing awareness to new treatments to help those with osteoporosis-related fractures through the use of new therapies and treatments.


In the past, vertebral compression fractures related to osteoporosis have been treated with bed rest, narcotic pain medications and bracing. These treatments are limited by long recovery times, often with poor outcomes and chronic painful deformities. Now, these painful spine fractures can be treated with innovative procedures such as percutaneous vertebroplasty or percutaneous vertebral augmentation which stabilize fractures of the spine and provide significant pain relief.


"As spinal surgeons, we're constantly looking for devices that are very easy to use to help improve quality of life for our patients," said Dr. Waldrip. "New, minimally invasive devices such as the Parallax Contour® (ArthroCare Corp., Austin, TX), a mechanical cavity creation device that is used as part of fracture repair, pick up where other therapies leave off. This allows us to treat patients who are in severe pain, providing relief within 24-48 hours."


Advanced age, tobacco abuse, diabetes, emphysema, postmenopausal state, chronic steroid use, low testosterone, rheumatoid arthritis, certain chemotherapy regimens, and some peptic ulcer and esophageal reflux medical therapies are all risk factors for osteoporosis.


According to estimated figures from Neurosurgical Focus, the journal published by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, vertebral fractures are the most common related to osteoporosis, accounting for 750,000 fractures each year, or half of the 1.5 million occurring in the U.S. annually.


For more information about minimally invasive treatments for vertebral compression fractures, please visit vertebroplasty or contact Dr. Waldrip's office directly at 623-584-5626.


About Dr. Robert Waldrip


Dr. Robert Waldrip is an orthopedic spine surgeon with more than 26 years of experience practicing in the Phoenix area. As a spine surgeon and a physician practicing in a retirement community, Dr. Waldrip has found osteoporosis to be one of the most significant health issues facing older adults.

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Dr. Robert Waldrip