ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of intervertebral bridging ossifications in patients of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) on bone fracture healing.Methods A total of 170 patients of thoracolumbar vertebral endplate fracture who were admitted into our hospital were selected.Divided these patients into the observation group,namely 60 patients with nonunion of vertebral endplate after 3 months of conservative treatment,and the control group, including 110 patients with well healed vertebra after 3 months of conservative treatment.Compared the distribution of intervertebral bridging ossifications of the two groups 3 weeks after injury.Results The incidence of bridging ossification at levels of T9 to T10,T10to T11,T11to T12 in the observation group were significantly higher than that in the control group.And it showed a significantly higher incidence of bridging ossification at the second proximal intervertebral segment in the observation group than that of the control group.There was a significantly greater sagittal wedge angle in the observation group compared with the control group.Conclusion Conservative treatment may increase the risk of nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures when there is a bridging ossification at the second proximal intervertebral level or the sagittal wedge angle was greater than 14.2°in a fresh osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.It should be a careful choose whether to take conservative treatment or surgical intervention.