Objective:

To investigate the treatment results of percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral fractures

Method:

13 patients who was treated and follow-up between 2007-2010 years were included. The subjects consisted of 3 men and 10 women, the mean age was 73.6 (60-90). The causes of the injury were falls in 9 patients and lifting heavy objects in 4 patients. The fractures were distributed as follows; 2 thoracic, 10 thoracolumbar, 1 lumbar. 4 patients were treated with vertebroplasty and 9 patients were treated with kyphoplasty. Clinical (Oswestry Disability index, Visual analog score (VAS)) and radiologic (Sugita) outcomes were analyzed.

Results:

The mean follow-up time was 16 months (9-30), the time between trauma and surgery was 4.1 months (0.1-19). Clinically, there was very significant difference between preoperative and postoperative VAS scores (p=0.002). Radiological, fractures were consist of 6 concave-type, 3 bow-shapedtype, 2 projecting-type and 2 swelled-fronttype. Vacuum phenomenon visualized at four patients by computerized tomography. There were four complications including cement leakage without neurologic compromise, revision because of intractable pain and corpus fracture. Postoperative Oswestry and VAS scores of three cases that kyphoplasty was performed six month after trauma when compared with remaining 10 patients, patient satisfaction was significantly deteriorated in the late-onset cases (p=0.013 and p=0.017).

Conclusion:

Percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedure for osteoporotic vertebral fractures are clinically and radiological good and effective methods. But the patient satisfaction was decreased when kyphoplasty was performed six months after trauma.

Keywords: Vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, osteoporotic vertebral fracture