Management of acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a nonrandomized trial comparing percutaneous vertebroplasty with conservative therapy.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine whether percutaneous vertebroplasty--which involves the injection of cement to stabilize a fractured vertebral body--may be an effective treatment for vertebral fracture.


METHODS
We enrolled 79 consecutive osteoporotic patients (24 men and 55 women; ages 51 to 93 years) presenting with acute vertebral fractures. Clinical characteristics and bone densitometry were measured at baseline. Pain scores (on a 0 to 25 scale) and levels of function (on a 0 to 20 scale) were recorded on presentation, at 24 hours, at 6 weeks, and 6 to 12 months after therapy.


RESULTS
Fifty-five patients (70%) were treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty and 24 (30%) were treated by conservative therapy alone. They were followed for a mean of 215 days (range, 57 to 399 days). The baseline clinical characteristics, bone densitometry, and fracture data were similar in the two groups. Twenty-four hours after vertebroplasty, there was a 53% reduction in pain scores (from 19 to 9; P = 0.0001) and a 29% improvement in physical functioning (from 14 to 18; P = 0.0001), whereas pain scores and physical functioning remained unchanged at 24 hours in the patients treated conservatively (both P = 0.0001 compared with the changes after percutaneous vertebroplasty). Thirteen patients (24%) treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty were able to cease all analgesia after 24 hours (P = 0.0001 compared with none of the 24 patients treated conservatively). Clinical outcomes at 6 weeks and 6 to 12 months were similar in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
When compared with conservative therapy, percutaneous vertebroplasty results in prompt pain relief and rapid rehabilitation. In experienced hands, it is a safe and effective procedure for treating acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.
Diamond
Terrence H
TH
Department of Endocrinology, Saint George Hospital Campus, University of New South Wales, Grey Street, NSW 2217, Sydney, Australia. terrydiamond@optushome.com.au
Champion
Bernard
B
Clark
William A
WA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001843:Bone Cements; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001843:Bone Cements