Balloon vertebroplasty repairs vertebral compression fractures:biomechanical analysis

Songbai LI; Yuanjin ZHANG; Farui SUN

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

For vertebral compression fractures treated by bal oon vertebroplasty, there were stil controversies in biomechanical and clinical studies about adjacent vertebral fractures is the result of osteoporosis progress, or the result of vertebral intervention and strengthening by injecting bone cement. More accurate conclusions can be obtained through more in-depth research and long-term fol ow-up.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of bal oon vertebroplasty on biomechanical properties of vertebral body with compression fractures and unstrengthened adjacent vertebral body.

METHODS:

Total y 40 pig specimens with vertebral compression fractures were prepared and randomly divided into study and control groups. Specimens in the study group were subjected to bal oon vertebroplasty. Specimens in the control group only wrapped with normal saline gauze. The biomechanical properties (vertebral height, maximum load), stress, strain and displacement values of specimens under 500 N loading in these two groups were compared. The stress and strain values of unstrengthened adjacent vertebral body before and after the bal oon vertebroplasty in the study group were measured, and compared with the control group. RESULTS AND

CONCLUSION:

Compared with the original height, specimens in the study group can restore to its original height after bal oon vertebroplasty, the differences were not significant (P>0.05). The former, back, left and right vertebral height in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P0.05). There were no significant differences in the strain and stress values of the unstrengthened adjacent vertebral body after the bal oon vertebroplasty between study group and control group (P>0.05). These results suggest that vertebral maximum loading and stiffness recover wel after the treatment of bal oon vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures, which can achieve the effect of preventing vertebral fractures again. Meanwhile, bal oon vertebroplasty treatment can not alter the biomechanical properties of adjacent vertebrae, and it is difficult to influence and lead vertebral fractures again, with a better security.