>>ellen simpson, m.d.

E L L E N S I M P S O N , M . D .

Retired pediatric cardiologist Age: 86Diagnosis: Osteoporotic fractureLocation: San Francisco, Calif. USA

Two thoracic fractures repairedin January 2003. Dr.

Simpson had already been

diagnosed with osteopenia

and was taking [use generic

name—Fosamax]. She’d

been sitting hunched over

during a Thanksgiving Day

party. The next morning,

her fractures made it

“difficult to get out of bed.”

After her Balloon

Kyphoplasty Procedure, she

likes to show off her ability

to bend and move. Her

friends tell her she, “looks 15

years younger!”

osteoporotic fracture

Mr. Luperine down for four years, causing doctors to

prescribe a corticosteroid. Unfortunately, the drugs caused

him to lose bone mass—a common side-effect of steroid

regimens—and he developed osteoporosis. His resulting

spinal fracture was so debilitating that a pain pump was

implanted to manage the pain. Following a Balloon

Kyphoplasty procedure to treat his fracture, the pump was

removed, and Mr. Luperine is now happy to “be living and

getting around again.”

ron luprine>> R O N L U P R I N E

Retired banker Age: 62Diagnosis: Steroid-induced fractureLocation: Castro Valley, Calif. USA

A lung ailment slowed

steroid-induced fracture

Mr. Van Mol was flying his hang glider when something

went terribly wrong. The sail collapsed, causing him to slam

his back into a high tree, and he suffered an L-1 spine

fracture and a broken arm. After a painful nine hour car

ride back to Belgium, he was treated with a Balloon

Kyphoplasty Procedure using a biomaterial. “I immediately

started walking. In two weeks, I was able to ride on my

motorcycle again.”

>>

While vacationing in France,

jan van molJ A N V A N M O L

Creative agency owner Age: 36Diagnosis: Traumatic fractureLocation: Louvain, Belgium

traumatic fracture

repaired in May 2003. Fighting a blood cancer like

multiple myeloma is frightening enough, add one of the

devastating consequences—spine fractures—and life gets

very difficult. Over the course of six months, Ms. Siegel lost

6 inches of height from the fractures in her back. “I was bed

ridden for over a year. I was on [strong opoids] for pain.”

After the Balloon Kyphoplasty Procedure, which repaired

four of the five fractures, she “threw away all the pain

killers. The cancer caused me to fall apart, this procedure,

put me back together again.”

Four fractures from multiple myeloma

christine siegel>> C H R I S T I N E S I E G E L

Teacher Age: 57Diagnosis: Myeloma-induced fractureLocation: Greenbrae, Calif. USA

myeloma-induced fracture

>>chris kern & andy

Four fractures from osteoporosis

osteoporotic fracture

C H R I S K E R N & A N D Y

Former x-ray technician Age: 84Diagnosis: Osteoporotic FractureLocation: Fairfax, Calif. USA

repaired in August 2003.

Ms. Kern lives with her

wheelchair-bound roommate

in a house that overlooks a

beautiful valley in Northern

California. At 4:00 AM one

night, after helping her

roommate to bed, she awoke

in severe pain. Over the next

four months was in and out

of the hospital on morphine

to control the pain from back

spasms. She couldn’t eat and

lost over 30 pounds; “they

thought I had a bowel

obstruction.” She begged for

a back x-ray to be taken and

reviewed by an orthopedist.

Sure enough, they found her

fractures. After her Balloon

Kyphoplasty Procedure, she

says the difference is like,

“night and day.”