ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcome of percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP), with kyphoplasty, in the treatment of osteoporotic painful vertebral compression fractures (VCF). SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: There is much controversy relating to the treatment of painful osteoporotic VCF. Recent analytical data exists on VP and kyphoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A consecutive group of patients, undergoing VP and kyphoplasty at our institution, between July 2000 and November 2002, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 23 patients underwent 25 VP procedures under local anesthesia, and 8 underwent 8 kyphoplasty procedures, 3 under general and 5 under local anesthesia. A radiological assessment was achieved by the percentage of height restored, using both the preoperative and postoperative radiographs. The Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, obtained pre and postoperatively were used for the clinical assessment. The activity levels were assessed preoperatively, after discharge and at the last follow up period, by the ambulatory stati. RESULTS: The VP restored 27.62% (anterior*) and 30.26% (middle**) of the lost height. The kyphoplasty restored 35.52% (anterior*) and 53.43% (middle**) of the lost height (P=0.3334*, P=0.0264**). The postoperative pain was improved in all patients after both procedures. The postoperative VAS score was 3.826 after the VP and 2.875 after the kyphoplasty (P=0.5647). The activity levels were improved in all patients after both procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The kyphoplasty was more efficient in restoring the middle vertebral body height than the VP in the treatment of osteoporotic painful VCF. However, both procedures showed similar clinical improvements in the pain and restoration of the anterior vertebral body height in the treatment of painful osteoporotic VCF. Both kyphoplasty and VP safely increased the vertebral body height, decreased the acute back pain and quickly returned geriatric patients to higher activity levels, resulting in an increased independence and quality of life.