Study Results Raise Questions About Vertebroplasty For Patients With Osteoporotic Spinal Compression Fractures; Is it Malpractice?

Have You Had Surgery Using Spinal Cement?

Each year, as many as 250,000 people in the United States suffer vertebral fractures, which are small breaks or cracks in the bones of the spine. Even minor falls, missteps, bumps into countertops or other hard surfaces, and other every day accidents can cause these types of painful injuries. Most victims of spinal fractures are elderly and have been diagnosed with the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis.

In many cases, surgeries to repair spinal fractures use products called spinal cement to fill in the cracks until the broken bone can regenerate on its own. However, the use of these products has been associated with several deaths and severe injuries in patients. Also, recent medical research has found that patients who had a specific type of spinal fracture surgery fared no better afterwards than patients who received a placebo surgery.

Therefore, there are serious questions about whether vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and other types of spinal fracture surgery that use spinal cement are necessary and effective in relieving back pain cause by vertebral fractures.

While it may be difficult to prove in court that merely performing vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and other types of spinal fracture surgery alone constitutes malpractice, even in light of the recent publications indicating that the procedures  are no more effective than placebos, the same cannot be said for those patients who suffered serious injury and even death after undergoing such operations.

We are actually representing one client who suffered severe cardiac arrest, resulting in major open heart surgery, after undergoing this purportedly “minimally invasive” surgery. It appears that in these cases where patients are significantly injured after undergoing these procedures the injury occurs because the cement is allowed (negligently) to enter the blood stream. The use of spinal cement has been shown to cause heart and lung damage, fatal drops in blood pressure, and other problems.

If you or a loved one has undergone back surgery using spinal cement to repair a vertebral fracture, you may be at risk of suffering life-threatening injuries and complications. If a loved one has died as the result of surgery using spinal cement, you and your family may qualify for damages to compensate you for the wrongful death.

At https://www.kenisonlaw.com/ our experienced personal injury attorneys are dedicated to helping people who are injured by spinal cement and other dangerous medical products. To schedule a free, confidential legal consultation, contact us today.