Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: rapid pain relief for vertebral compression fractures.

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are minimally invasive procedures aimed at relieving symptoms associated with vertebral compression fractures. They have become accepted, highly effective, safe procedures, and are known for their high patient satisfaction rates. Although they are image-guided percutaneous spine therapies, differences do exist. They have each arisen from different backgrounds and are championed by different subspecialties and each involves slightly different techniques. In addition, a prospective, randomized trial comparing the two techniques has yet to be performed. This lack of objective data allows market forces and opinions to have a large influence on utilization and patient referral.