Should i have the surgry on my back l5 vertabr is 50% crushed and back is curving and what kind of surgry wld it b i had a mva sep of 2011 my l5 vertabra was crushed 20% i went to work in feb of 2012 and it has now crushed another 30% so now it is 50% my

There : There are many treatment for vertebral body fractures and the specific treatment depends on the amount of compression of the vertebral body, if the body is pressing on nerves, if the spine is falling apart, the presence of other fractures, etc. Therefore it is difficult to know the exact treatment you would need. In general there are two types of treatments: 1. Kyphoplasty - the fracture is bone is made taller and filled with plastic through a large needle 2. Corpectomy - removal of the vertebral body and replacement with cage to remake the vertebral body and hold it together with screws and rods. This is usually done open but there are minimally invasive options being developed. These procedures may be done alone, combined or only part of the procedure done. They may need to be done at one or many levels depending on what is fractured. Please see my health guide on vertebral body fractures and kyphoplasty.