Comments on: Fake Surgery Eases Spinal Pain as Well as the “Real” Thing http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/ 80beats is DISCOVER\'s news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:20:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Angie Me http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-64516 Angie Me Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:14:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/#comment-64516 If the fake surgery really manages to heal patients, I think these people are lucky, as they will have no "intruders" in their bodies. But imagine them finding out one day... wouldn´t they feel terribly deceived? If the fake surgery really manages to heal patients, I think these people are lucky, as they will have no “intruders” in their bodies. But imagine them finding out one day… wouldn´t they feel terribly deceived?

]]> By: FlynnMD http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-40855 FlynnMD Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:55:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/#comment-40855 Kyphoplasty is more invasive but also more precise and without the risks of polymethylmethacralate emboli (because the cement is injected as a liquid in vertebroplasty). It is also done more for compression fractures as compared to simply "strengthening" the vertebral body. Kyphoplasty can restore bone height as well; the sham would not address the mechanical disruption that was requiring the procedure in the first place. The sham surgery is still the same procedure; only the injectate is changed. How is that of significance? Kyphoplasty is more invasive but also more precise and without the risks of polymethylmethacralate emboli (because the cement is injected as a liquid in vertebroplasty). It is also done more for compression fractures as compared to simply “strengthening” the vertebral body.
Kyphoplasty can restore bone height as well; the sham would not address the mechanical disruption that was requiring the procedure in the first place.
The sham surgery is still the same procedure; only the injectate is changed.

How is that of significance?

]]> By: amphiox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-40700 amphiox Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:36:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/06/fake-surgery-eases-spinal-pain-as-well-as-the-real-thing/#comment-40700 Now it will be interesting to see what happens with kyphoplasty, a related but more invasive and more expensive procedure frequently compared to vertebroplasty. And maybe the sham procedure, involving sticking a percutaneous needle into the lamina and injecting the periosteum with local anesthetic, can be developed into an effective treatment (given that percutaneous injections of joints is already done for a variety of indications)? Now it will be interesting to see what happens with kyphoplasty, a related but more invasive and more expensive procedure frequently compared to vertebroplasty.

And maybe the sham procedure, involving sticking a percutaneous needle into the lamina and injecting the periosteum with local anesthetic, can be developed into an effective treatment (given that percutaneous injections of joints is already done for a variety of indications)?

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