Percutaneous kyphoplasty for old osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for old osteoporosis vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).Methods From January 2012 to August 2013,52 patients with old OVCF were treated in our department.They were 11 males and 41 females.Of them,32 were treated with PKP and 20 with conservative therapy.The 2 groups were comparable in baseline characteristics.All the patients were assessed before treatment,1 day,1,3,and 6 months after treatment using visual analogue scale (VAS),short form-36 health survey (SF-36) and Oswestry disability index (ODI).The midline vertebral body height and local sagittal cobb' s angle were measured before and after operation in the PKP group.Results All the patients were followed up for 6 to 16 months (average,10 months).Compared with the conservative therapy group,the PKP group scored significantly lower in VAS and ODI but significantly higher in SF-36 (P ＜ 0.05).In the PKP group,the scores of VAS,SF-36 and ODI,and the midline vertebral body heights at 1 day,1,3,and 6 months after treatment were all significantly improved compared with those before treatment (P ＜ 0.05); however,there were no significant differences regarding sagittal cobb's angle between pretreatment and all time points posttreatment (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion In treatment of old OVCF,PKP is preferable to conservative therapy because it can lead to quicker effective relief of pain,better restoration of vertebral body height,enhanced vertebral stability and improved quality of life. Key words: Spinal fracture; Osteoporosis; Vertebroplasty