| Title | Percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic fractures. | | Author(s) | Afzal S, Dhar S, Vasavada NB, Akbar S | | Institution | Spine Clinic, Srinagar, Kashmir, India; Bone and Joint Hospital, Kasmir, India; Spine Clinic, Ahmedabad, Gujarat India; Nehru Hospital, Mauritius, India. | | Source | Pain Physician 2007 Jul; 10(4):559-63. | | Abstract | BACKGROUND: Vertebral augmentation has been widely used to treat vertebral body compression fractures caused by varied pathologies. The lifetime risk of a vertebral body compression fracture is 16% for women and 5% for men, and exponential increase of osteoporotic fractures worldwide.
PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and durability of percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of back pain associated with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
DESIGN: A prospective study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective evaluation of pain relief in 30 patients, with mean age of 73.7 years, who underwent percutaneous injection of polymethyl methacrylate into 54 vertebrae under fluoroscopic guidance over a period of 35 months was done. Before the procedure and at follow up, patients were asked to quantify their pain on a visual analogue scale.
RESULTS: The procedure was technically successful in all the patients. Mean duration of follow up was 21.5 months (6-44 months). Ninety-seven percent of the patients reported a significant relief 24 hours after the procedure. Ninety-two percent reported significant improvement in back pain, previously associated with a compression fracture, as well as improved ambulatory ability. Before vertebroplasty, the VAS score was 8.91+/- 1.82 compared to a score of 2.02+/- 1.95 at follow up. The mean difference in VAS score was significant (p<.0001). One patient had an asymptomatic epidural leak of PMMA, however did not require any further intervention.
CONCLUSION: Percutaneous vertebroplasty of symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures is a minimally invasive procedure that provides immediate and sustained pain relief in patients with refractory pain. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 17660854 |
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