ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Percutaneous vertebroplasty with bone cement injection has the advantages of minimal invasion, short time, effectively restoring vertebral body height, preventing further colapse of the vertebral body and obvious analgesic effect, which has became an effective method for the treatment of elderly osteoporotic compression fractures. OBJECTIVE:To observe the therapeutic effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty with bone cement injection on elderly osteoporotic compression fractures. METHODS:Sixty-two patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral compression fracture, including 22 males and 40 females, aged 55-92 years, involving 86 vertebrae, were included and subjected to percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethyl methacrylate bone cement injection under C-arm X-ray fluoroscopy. During the postoperative folow-up of 12 to 36 months, visual analogue scale scores, Cobb angle and Oswestry disability index scores were compared before and after the treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 12 to 36 months after treatment, there were 11 cases of complications, including 7 cases of bone cement leakage, 2 cases of adjacent vertebral fractures, 1 cases of bone cement tailing and 1 case of unsatisfactory pain relief. In the final folow-up, Cobb angle, visual analogue scale scores, Oswestry disability index scores were significantly improved compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05).These results demonstrate that percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethyl methacrylate bone cement injection in the treatment of elderly osteoporotic compression fractures can not only restore vertebral shape, reduce kyphosis, reconstruct spinal stability, but also significantly reduce the pain caused by fractures and improve the life quality of patients. The curative effects in short and medium term are positive.