Age of fracture and clinical outcomes of percutaneous vertebroplasty.
OBJECTIVE
The patient populations that are most likely to benefit from percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) are uncertain. Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of the age of vertebral compression fracture (VCF) on clinical improvement after PVP.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of charts of patients who had undergone PVP for painful osteoporotic VCFs at our institution. The preprocedural and postprocedural outcome measurements of pain, mobility, and analgesic use were compared for 80 treatment sessions in 75 patients (122 total vertebrae treated). We assessed the association between the duration of pain before PVP and postprocedural outcomes by using multivariable analysis.


RESULTS
Age of fracture at time of PVP was not independently associated with postprocedural pain or activity. Increasing age of fracture was independently associated with slightly greater postprocedural analgesic requirement, at least for patients who required narcotics at baseline before PVP. Greater preprocedural analgesic requirement was independently associated with greater postprocedural analgesic requirement. Reduced preprocedural mobility was independently associated with reduced postprocedural mobility.


CONCLUSIONS
PVP is a highly efficacious therapy for relief of pain and improvement in mobility, regardless of fracture age. PVP also is efficacious in reducing analgesic requirement, although this effect may be slightly blunted in patients who require narcotics before the procedure and in those who have older fractures.
Kaufmann
T J
TJ
Department of Radiology, University of Virginia Health Services, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
Jensen
M E
ME
Schweickert
P A
PA
Marx
W F
WF
Kallmes
D F
DF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000700:Analgesics; D001843:Bone Cements