RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate and analyses feasibility and therapeutic effect of pedicle of vertebral arch drilling in the treatment of old vertebrae compression fracture patients suffering back pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From May 2004 to December 2011, 19 patients with back pain caused of old vertebrae compression fracture were treated by vertebral body decompression with drilling. There were 13 males and 6 females with with an average age of 61 years old ranging from 44 to 78 years. The course of disease was 3 months to 8 years (means 2.5 years). Among them,6 cases were chest-back pain and 13 were lumbodorsal pain. The thoracic vertebrae fracture involved in 9 segments, lumbar vertebrae fracture involved in 18 segments, vertebral height lose <or= 1/3.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nineteen patients were followed up from 6 months to 3 years. The symtoms were not recurrened. The VAS score was 5.7+/-0.3 preoperative and 2.3+/-0.2 postoperative. The pain relieved obviously in 4 patients and mainly in 5 patients at 24 hours after operation, and the pain relieved obviously in 10 patients and mainly in 9 patients at 48 hours after operation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Vertebral drill decompression is an effective method for the treatment of old osteoporotic compression fractures with minimally invasive and low complication.</p>