Kyphoplasty
Spinal Compression Fracture Treatment in Kansas City & Independence, MO
Searching for kyphoplasty treatment near me? Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure — completed same-day once your workup is finished — that stabilizes a fractured vertebra and relieves back pain caused by a spinal compression fracture — performed right here at MIVA Medical, serving Kansas City and all of Missouri.
A 10-page guide covering spinal fracture symptoms, treatment comparisons, and what to expect — yours to keep.
What Is a Spinal Compression Fracture?
A spinal compression fracture occurs when one or more of the vertebral bodies in the spine collapses or compresses, most often due to osteoporosis. These fractures are more common in women than men and are especially common among the elderly, though many elderly men develop osteoporotic compression fractures as well. Less commonly, compression fractures can be associated with spinal tumors or cancer that has spread to the spine.
Pain from a compression fracture can range from minor to excruciating. Fractures can result from a fall or accident in someone with severe osteoporosis, or simply from everyday bending, twisting, or lifting.
Common Symptoms of a Spinal Compression Fracture
- Sudden onset of back pain
- Pain that worsens with sitting or walking
- Pain that eases with rest
- Decreased or limited spinal mobility
- Loss of height
- Spinal deformity or disability if left untreated
How Is a Spinal Compression Fracture Diagnosed?
Compression of one or more vertebral bodies is typically evident on an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI. MRI is often the most useful, as it can help determine how recent the fracture is. When a patient cannot undergo an MRI and there’s uncertainty about the fracture’s age, a nuclear medicine bone scan may be ordered instead.
After reviewing your imaging and discussing your symptoms, we’ll talk through your treatment options — the most common of which is kyphoplasty. Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that uses medical-grade bone cement to stabilize the fracture, prevent it from worsening, and relieve back pain.
Using X-ray guidance, a needle is inserted through the skin and into the fractured vertebra. A small balloon is passed through the needle and inflated to help restore the vertebra’s lost height. Once the balloon is removed, cement is injected into the space it created to stabilize the fracture. This extra step — using the balloon to restore height before the cement is placed — is what distinguishes kyphoplasty from the closely related procedure vertebroplasty, which stabilizes and relieves pain without the height-restoring balloon step.
At MIVA Medical, kyphoplasty is performed under moderate sedation on an outpatient basis, with minimal recovery time.
What the Research Shows About Vertebral Augmentation
This is a treatment with a genuinely contested history, and you may come across conflicting information while researching it. Here is an honest account of where things stand.
In 2009, two randomized placebo-controlled trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine found no meaningful benefit of vertebroplasty over a sham procedure. Those results were influential enough that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons issued a guideline recommending against vertebroplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures.
Two things are worth understanding about that. First, those trials studied vertebroplasty, not kyphoplasty — the related procedure that omits the balloon step used to restore vertebral height. Second, the trials enrolled patients with fractures of widely varying age, including many that were months old.
A 2014 review noted that five of the six randomized trials of kyphoplasty published after 2009 showed benefit compared with non-surgical management. The sixth found neither benefit nor added risk. The FREE trial, the largest of these, reported improvement in physical function that was sustained at two-year follow-up, along with improvement in spinal curvature.
Later vertebroplasty trials designed differently have also been positive. The VAPOUR trial, which enrolled only patients with acute fractures less than six weeks old, found substantial pain relief compared with placebo that persisted to six months. VERTOS V found superior pain reduction and quality of life over twelve months in patients with chronic fractures.
The pattern running through the positive trials is patient selection and timing. Studies of early intervention have shown faster pain relief and a lower risk of cement leakage into the spinal canal than delayed treatment. This is part of why we review your MRI specifically to determine how recent the fracture is — a fresh, actively painful fracture is a different clinical situation from an old healed one, even though both look like compression on an X-ray.
Additional fractures are common after a first one, whether or not you have kyphoplasty. A large 2025 analysis of over 15,000 matched patients found subsequent vertebral fractures within one year in roughly half of patients after either kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty. That reflects the underlying osteoporosis more than the procedure itself — which is why treating the fracture without also treating the bone disease behind it leaves the real problem unaddressed.
Cement leakage is the other recognized risk. It is usually harmless, but is the reason the procedure is done under continuous X-ray guidance.
Sources: Savage JW, et al. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. 2014. · VAPOUR trial, The Lancet. · VERTOS V randomized controlled trial, Radiology. · Comparative long-term outcomes of vertebroplasty versus kyphoplasty: a propensity-matched analysis. 2025.
Why Choose MIVA Medical For Your Spinal Compression Fracture Treatment?
Board-Certified Specialists
Experienced interventional radiologists build an individualized care plan for every patient. Meet our doctors.
Personalized Consultation
Your initial consultation is typically with Maddie Fennessey, NP, who works closely with Dr. Williams and Dr. Brown to build your care plan — a physician consultation can also be requested based on availability.
Same-Day Procedure, Outpatient
Once your consultation and workup are complete, kyphoplasty itself is performed under moderate sedation in under an hour per vertebra — no open spine surgery, minimal recovery time.
Please note: MIVA Medical does not perform diagnostic imaging in-house. Imaging is completed at an outside imaging center prior to treatment.
MIVA Medical also offers uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), prostate artery embolization (PAE), geniculate artery embolization (GAE), and hemorrhoid artery embolization (HAE) — read what our patients say on our reviews page.
Related Reading From Our Blog
What Is the Success Rate of Kyphoplasty?
A closer look at pain relief outcomes for acute vs. chronic fractures.
Are There Alternatives to Kyphoplasty?
Comparing kyphoplasty to other treatment approaches for compression fractures.
Kyphoplasty and Height Loss
Can kyphoplasty help restore height lost to a compression fracture?
Osteoporosis and Kyphoplasty
Breaking the cycle of repeat fractures with treatment and bone health management.
Serving Patients Across the Kansas City Metro
MIVA Medical’s Independence, MO clinic provides kyphoplasty for spinal compression fractures for patients throughout the greater Kansas City area, including Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, Grain Valley, Raytown, Overland Park, and Kansas City, MO & KS. If you’ve been searching for a vertebral fracture doctor near you or back pain treatment without surgery, our board-certified team is close by and taking new patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How successful is kyphoplasty?
Most randomized trials of kyphoplasty published since 2009 have shown benefit compared with non-surgical management — five of six in one review, with the sixth finding neither benefit nor added risk. The FREE trial reported improvement in physical function sustained at two years. Results appear best in patients with acute, actively painful fractures confirmed on MRI, which is why we review imaging carefully before recommending treatment.
Didn’t studies show vertebroplasty doesn’t work?
Two randomized placebo-controlled trials in 2009 found no benefit of vertebroplasty over a sham procedure, and those results influenced guidelines at the time. Two things are worth knowing: those trials studied vertebroplasty rather than kyphoplasty, and they enrolled patients with fractures of widely varying age. Later trials designed around acute fractures — notably VAPOUR, which enrolled only fractures under six weeks old — found substantial pain relief compared with placebo. The debate continues in the literature, and we’d rather you hear that from us than discover it elsewhere.
Will I get more fractures after kyphoplasty?
Additional vertebral fractures are common after a first one, whether or not you have kyphoplasty. A 2025 analysis of more than 15,000 matched patients found subsequent fractures within a year in roughly half of patients after either procedure. That largely reflects the underlying osteoporosis rather than the treatment. Treating the fracture without also addressing bone health leaves the underlying problem in place, so we’ll discuss osteoporosis management as part of your care plan.
What is the difference between kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty?
Both procedures stabilize a fractured vertebra with bone cement. Kyphoplasty adds an extra step: a balloon is inflated inside the vertebra first to help restore lost height before the cement is injected. Vertebroplasty skips the balloon and focuses on pain relief and stabilization alone.
How long does kyphoplasty take, and what is recovery like?
The procedure typically takes under an hour per vertebra. Many patients experience pain relief within hours to a couple of days, and most resume normal daily activities shortly afterward, with recovery time being minimal compared to open spine surgery.
What causes a spinal compression fracture?
The most common cause is osteoporosis, which weakens bones and makes them more prone to fracture, sometimes from a fall or even routine bending, twisting, or lifting. Less commonly, compression fractures can be associated with spinal tumors or cancer that has spread to the spine.
How is a spinal compression fracture diagnosed?
Diagnosis typically starts with an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI. MRI is often the most useful because it can help determine how recent the fracture is. In patients who cannot have an MRI, a nuclear medicine bone scan may be used instead.
Where can I find kyphoplasty treatment near Kansas City?
MIVA Medical performs kyphoplasty at our Independence, MO clinic, serving patients throughout the greater Kansas City metro. Book a consultation to see if you’re a candidate.
Is kyphoplasty covered by insurance?
Coverage can vary by specific insurance plan and provider. Our team works with you and your insurance company to review coverage details and any preauthorization requirements before scheduling your procedure.
Related Reading From Our Blog
What to Avoid After a Compression Fracture
How to sit, sleep, lift and move while the vertebra heals.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
What’s available before and instead of open spine surgery.
Osteoporosis and Kyphoplasty
Why treating the fracture without treating the bone leaves the real problem in place.
Kyphoplasty and Height Loss
Can treatment restore height lost to vertebral collapse?
Exercises to Strengthen Your Back
Safe movement and strengthening after a spinal fracture.
What Interventional Radiology Treats
The range of conditions addressed without open surgery.