Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The researches on the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures by percutaneous vertebroplasty are mainly based on the fresh osteoporotic compression vertebral fractures, and the reports on the treatment of old symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures are rare.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty in the treatment of old symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures in elderly.
METHODS: The patients with old symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures in elderly were selected from Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine during January 2007 to December 2010, and all the 12 patients (14 vertebras) were treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty. The Visual Analogue Scale score, Oswestry disability index and local sagittal Cobb’s angles were measured before percutaneous vertebroplasty, and 1 month and 1 year after percutaneous vertebroplasty.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was no infection, toxic effect of bone cement, pulmonary embolism or leakage of bone cement in the patients with old symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures. After percutaneous vertebroplasty, there was one case with loss of follow-up, one case of death, and the death has nothing to do with the surgery. The Visual Analogue Scale score and Oswestry disability index of the patients with old symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures after percutaneous vertebroplasty were significantly lower than those before percutaneous vertebroplasty (P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference of local sagittal Cobb’s angles before and after percutaneous vertebroplasty (P > 0.05). It suggests that percutaneous vertebroplasty can relieve the pain and improve the life quality of the patients with old symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fractures.