Bryan Medical Center First in Nebraska to Treat Painful Spinal Fractures with new Kiva Treatment System

Doctors at Bryan Medical Center are the first in Nebraska to treat patients with vertebral compression fractures using the Kiva VCF Treatment System, the first new approach to treating spinal fractures in more than a decade.

Vertebral compression fractures (VCF’s) occur when vertebrae in the spine crack, fracture or collapse. These injuries are most often caused by osteoporosis and affect nearly three-quarters of a million people annually in the United States.  Almost two-thirds of those individuals do not seek treatment for their injuries.

“Vertebral compression fractures are injuries that are under diagnosed and undertreated and can cause sudden, intense and debilitating back pain,” said Dr. Michael Budler, interventional radiologist with Advanced Radiology at Bryan Medical Center and the first physician in Nebraska to perform the procedure. “The Kiva System is a new, minimally invasive alternative that significantly reduces pain and restores function to those patients who undergo the procedure.”

The Kiva VCF Treatment System utilizes a custom-fit implant that is delivered through a small, single incision in the back. The cylindrical implant is designed to provide structural support to the vertebral body and direct and contain the bone cement that is used to repair spinal fractures. This new approach allows treating physicians to deliver a much more consistent result compared to the previous method, which inserted the bone cement directly into the spinal cavity without an implant to hold it.

“Our use of the Kiva technology further demonstrates our commitment to providing our patients with access to the most advanced treatments available today that are proven under the highest scientific standards,” Budler added. “This procedure is a great addition to the options that we present our patients in dealing with severe back pain.”

To learn more about this new treatment for vertebral fractures, please call Bryan Interventional Radiology at 402-481-3095.

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