Outcome Comparison between Percutaneous Vertebroplasty and Conservative Treatment in Acute Painful Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective comparative study. OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcome of percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) and conservative treatment for the treatment of acute painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF). SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Vertebroplasty is a common procedure for the treatment of acute painful osteoporotic VCF. However, controversy still exists regarding clinical outcomes of the procedure compared with more conservative treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A consecutive group of patients, undergoing VP and conservative treatment at our hospital, between July 2005 and October 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were reviewed with at least 1 year of follow up. A total of 58 patients underwent 59 VP procedures under local anesthesia at post injury 2 weeks; a total of 31 underwent conservative treatment. These two groups were compared by the kyphotic angle and loss of vertebral body height at immediate post-injury, post-injury 6weeks and 1y ear, radiologically. And they were compared by the visual analog scale(VAS) score and ambulatory status at the same time, clinically. RESULTS: At the time of immediate post-injury, six weeks after post-injury, one year after injury, height loss was 29.73%, 19.81%, 22.59% in the VP group, respectively, and 31.20%, 36.80%, 40.60% in the conservative treatment group, respectively. The Kyphotic angles were 13.44degrees, 9.10degrees, 11.31degrees in VP group, respectively, and 10.29degrees, 15.83degrees, 19.00degrees in the conservative treatment group, respectively. There was a statistically significant reduction of height loss and kyphotic angle in VP group at post-injury of 6 weeks and 1 year(p0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VP prevents further collapse and kyphosis relieves pain quickly and allows early ambulation, but in post-injury 1 year follow up, there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes. Proper treatment should be done with respect to patient's age, general condition, economic status and complication.