Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Results in Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures

 Percutaneous vertebroplasty as an effective and relatively new treatment can strengthen broken vertebrae and reduce the pain of osteoporotic fractures. The Present study was conducted to assess the results of such treatment in osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

 In the present study, all the patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures, having undergone vertebroplasty were studied by VAS before and after vertebroplasty. Complications after vertebroplasty (infection, nerve lesion, extra vertebrae cement leakage, cement-to-lung leakage and adjacent vertebrae fracture) were documented. Statistical data were entered into SPSS statistical software version 24 and statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and independent t-tests.

 Of the 40 evaluated cases, 10 (25%) were male and 30 (75%) females. The mean age of patients was 76.26 years. The mean of Visual Analogue Scale before vertebroplasty was 8.06, and after vertebroplasty was 1.34. The observed side effect was extra vertebrae leakage of cement, which was observed in eight cases (16%). No case of infection, nerve damage, and cement leakage into the lung or adjacent vertebral fracture was observed. Based on the analytical evaluation, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean of Visual Analogue Scale before vertebroplasty considering gender (P = 0.485) and age (P = 0.134). In addition, there was no significant difference between the mean of Visual Analogue Scale after vertebroplasty considering gender (P = 0.325) and age (P = 0.809). However, the mean of Visual Analogue Scale after vertebroplasty had a significant reduction in comparison to before vertebroplasty (P=0.0001). The second lumbar vertebra has been the most commonly involved vertebra.

 Based on observed results, percutaneous vertebroplasty can reduce the severity of pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.