Medtronic welcomes NICE approval of balloon kyphoplasty

Medtronic has reacted positively to news that the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended one of its new treatments for osteoporotic spinal fractures.

The regulatory body has issued final guidance supporting the use of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) as a minimally invasive treatment option for this condition, which affects at least 120,000 people every year in England and Wales.

Medtronic is responsible for the sale of the Kyphon BKP system, which involves the insertion and inflation of orthopaedic balloons inside the fractured bone in an attempt to return it to its correct position.

It is hoped that the ruling will make this therapy option more easily accessible to British patients, as only 800 spinal fractures were treated using this method during 2010/11.

Opinder Sahota, professor in orthogeriatric medicine and consultant physician at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "If managed properly, patients can be relieved from acute back pain, reduce the number of times they visit their doctor and regain their independence."

This comes after Medtronic received European CE Mark approval for its new Sentrant Introducer Sheath earlier this month.