Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of painful fractures of the spine (vertebral compression fracture) resulting from trauma in patients with osteoporosis or tumors. In kyphoplasty, a small balloon is threaded through an incision in the back to the site of the injury, where it is inflated to gently push any damaged bone back into place. Cement is then inserted into the site to hold the bone in proper position. This procedure takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and is usually performed under monitored anesthesia care.