Progress on clinical treatment of Kümmell's disease

Abstract

Kümmell's disease is a delayed complication of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) . The disease can occur months or even years after the initial spinal injury. Unlike the common osteoporotic compression fracture, it develops slowly and causes intractable pain or neurological dysfunction due to intraspinal instability. So far, the pathogenesis of Kümmell's disease has not been completely clear, there is no standard treatment or single effective treatment for Kümmell's disease. The effect of conservative treatment is often not good. Minimally invasive treatment has become the main treatment for patients with Kümmell's disease due to its short operation time, small trauma and exact effect. However, there are complications such as leakage of bone cement and delayed displacement of bone cement. Moreover, minimally invasive treatment is not suitable for all types of Kümmell's disease patients. Patients with posterior cortical fracture and spinal cord compression need to be opened Radiotherapy, whether anterior or posterior, has the disadvantages of long operation time, large trauma and high treatment cost. This article reviews the progress in the treatment of Kümmell's disease to provide guidance for clinical treatment.