Objective
Vertebral fracture is the most common complication of osteoporosis. It results in significant mortality and morbidity, including prolonged and intractable pain in a minority of patients. Vertebroplasty has been introduced for treatment of osteoporotic patients who have prolonged pain following vertebral fracture. Purpose of this article is to assess the effects of percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures.
Method
We studied twenty eight patients (22 women, 6 men, mean age; 68.0 years) with osteoporotic compression fracture of thracolumbar spine from May 2000 to May 2003. Vertebroplasty was performed in thirty eight vertebrae (18 thoracic and 20 lumbar) under fluoroscopic guidance. The technique involved percutaneous puncture of the involved vertebrae via a transpedicular approach under fluoroscopic guide followed by impaction of a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). We checked a pain grade by pain rating score (PRS) and visual analog scale (VAS) before procedure and 24 hours later.
Results
Twenty-four hours after vertebroplasty, there was a 39% reduction in pain rating score and 41% in visual analog scale.
Conclusion
Percutaneous vertebroplasty is an effective procedure for the relief of pain in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.
