Efficacy and safety of percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures

Background Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures constitute a major concern in elderly population who may not tolerate conservative treatment. Although percutaneous vertebroplasty is an alternative minimally invasive procedure that is commonly used nowadays, there is still debate about its efficacy. The study aim is to provide short term experience about efficacy of vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Methods Thirty five patients were treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty (the intervention group). The visual analog scale before the intervention (pre VAS), one week after the intervention (post VAS 1), at three months (post VAS 2) after the intervention were compared at each time point with the control group (35 patients). The oswestry disability index before (pre ODI) and three months after the procedure (post ODI) were assessed. The control group received the optimal medical treatment and a regular physiotherapy program for three months. Results Both conservative and vertebroplasty group showed significant improvement in the VAS/ODI with time. With vertebroplasty, the improvement is faster and statistically significant compared with conservative group. There were statistically significant differences between both groups concerning post VAS 1, post VAS 2 and post ODI as the P values were 0.00 in all relationships. Conclusion Patients with osteoporotic compression fractures who were treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty experienced considerable clinical improvement in comparison with those who received the conservative management.