Abstract
BACKGROUND Many investigators concluded that the burden of vertebral spine fracture can be substantial in chronic pain, a marked reduction in health-related quality of life and high healthcare costs. Minimally invasive surgical techniques of bone cement injection into fracturedvertebrae such as balloon kyphoplasty stabilize the fracture and partly restore vertebralheight reducing kyphotic deformity. Balloon kyphoplasty has been favoured by a largenumber of patients because they experience significant short-term pain relief and improvement in function. METHODS In Department of Traumatology, Celje General Hospital, in 2004 we started to treat selected fractured vertebrae by standalone balloon kyphoplasty and cement augmentation. Inthe pilot study the effectiveness and safety of Balloon Kyphoplasty as a new method oftreatment of traumatic compression fractures of the thoracolumbar spine in patients olderthan 40 years was assessed. We consecutively analysed nine patients (6 male and 3 femalepatients). The average age was 59 years (42–75). In 4 cases the fractured vertebra was L1,in 3 cases L2 and one case L4 and one Th12. According to the Magerl classification five ofthem were A1, two A2, and two of them were A3 burst fractures. Safety of the method wasassessed and also the x-ray (vertebral body height, Cobb angle) and clinical efficacy of themethod (pain measured by visual analogue pain scale, mobility measured by Oswestrylow back pain questionary, quality of life measured by SF 12). RESULTS No severe or clinically relevant complications were observed. The method demonstratedrestoration of the vertebral body’s shape (from 42 % to 89 % of predicted vertebral midbody height; from 16 to 10° kyphotic angulations). We recorded a significant decrease inpain score (89 % without or minimal pain), and improved quality of life after procedure(no severe disability, SF 12 score 81 %). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that kyphoplasty is an effective, simple and safe treatment of selected traumatic fracture of the thoracolumbar junction
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