Osteoporosis is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Usually, it can be treated with medication, exercise, and a good diet but, unfortunately, sometimes the bones break because of this disorder, and surgery is required for a complete recovery.
Osteoporosis is the condition in which the patient’s bones become fragile and porous, just like a sponge. This leads to the bones weakening and fracturing frequently. Most of these fractures are damaging enough to warrant surgery to completely fix the bones. The most vulnerable places are the hips, the spine, and the wrists. These are the bones that break most often when a patient suffers from this disorder. With enough care attention, the effects of osteoporosis can be countered by a healthy lifestyle and some medication.
Osteoporosis surgeries are different types of procedures in which broken bones suffering from this condition are fixed.
There are multiple bones, which can fracture because of osteoporosis, and, consequently, there are many ways in which these can be fixed. The hips are one of the most common bones that can break.
In many cases, the femur may be disconnected from the femoral body. This can be fixed by using a metal screw to stabilize the bone or to use a prosthesis attached to the femur and the pelvic bone socket.
Spinal fractures are very common in people suffering from osteoporosis. Because the bones become weaker, the vertebrae can move from their original position. To hold them into place, the surgeon uses a minimally invasive procedure in which bone cement is injected into the weakened bone to repair the spinal compression fracture.
Wrist fractures are also incredibly common when dealing with osteoporosis. When tripping, people tend to break their fall by landing on their hands. This puts a lot of pressure on the wrists, and, in many cases, the bones may break. If the fracture is minimal, the doctor will just put a cast over the wrist and wait for the bones to heal. If it is more serious, surgery will be required in order to fix them.
These are the benefits of this procedure:
Since there are so many types of surgeries, the recovery periods can be very different from each other. There are some similarities between them. Most of the procedures will entail a long recovery time. Since metal screws, bone cement, or metal rods have to be used for the surgeries, the affected area will be weakened. Physical therapy is recommended to regain the strength and flexibility of the muscles. Some procedures can leave the patient in a fair amount of pain, so painkillers are usually prescribed. Most of the time, the patient will need a lot of rest, healthy lifestyle changes, and medication to help both with the healing process and with the osteoporosis.
These surgeries, like all the others, have some risks attached to them. The incisions can get infected, which will prompt the patient to take antibiotics. In some cases, the bones don’t repair fully, so the symptoms will not disappear and another surgery will be necessary.