Vertebral compression fractures cause a substantial amount of morbidity and mortality. Fractures may be related to osteoporosis or a malignancy. Medical management in the forms of bedrest, bracing, and narcotic pain management is not a risk-free option. Vertebral augmentation, including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, is a minimally invasive option during which cement is placed into the fractured vertebra resulting in marked pain improvement. In the elderly population and among oncology patients, quality of life is of paramount importance. Vertebral augmentation offers a method of reducing pain and restoring independence for our most vulnerable patients.