title: Radiological findings as favorable predictors of pain relief in patients with osteoporotic compression fractures after percutaneous vertebroplasty: a retrospective study of 156 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the relationships between pre-procedural radiological findings and short-term pain relief in patients with osteoporotic compression fractures after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of pre-procedural radiological images of 156 patients with painful osteoporotic compression fracture was performed. Pain was measured with a visual analogue scale (VAS). Complete pain relief was defined as a VAS pain score of 0 or 1 at 3 months after PVP. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between the pre-procedural imaging factors and pain relief using Pearson's chi-squared test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete pain relief was obtained in 45.5% of patients. An intravertebral cleft larger than half the height of the fractured vertebral body (FVB) was a significant key factor in the complete pain relief group after 3 months. Further, ≥40% of the spinal canal occupied by bony fragments of the FVB was related to incomplete pain relief.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large intravertebral cleft was a favorable short-term outcome predictor in patients with osteoporotic compression fractures after PVP, while severe protrusion of the FVB causing lumbar spinal canal stenosis was not a favorable short-term outcome predictor of complete pain relief.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. mahira@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Mitsutomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishiyama
authors.forename: Sokun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuwa
authors.forename: Yukihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saida
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Numaguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D054854:Vertebroplasty
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D003287:Contrast Media; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate