title: Late collapse osteoporotic vertebral fracture in an elderly patient with neurological compromise.
abstract: Vertebral fracture is a frequent phenomenon in people with osteoporosis and does not lead to clinical problems in most cases. Only a small number of patients suffer from serious neurological complications related to late collapse. Acute or subacute painful osteoporotic vertebral fracture can be tackled using reinforcement techniques; however, neural compression by displaced bone fragments and late kyphosis can produce neurological deficit and require surgical decompression and stabilization. The identification of risk factors associated with a patient's poor recovery is important for adequate treatment. In elderly patients, both the morbidity of the approach and the difficulty of stabilization are the main drawbacks. We present here a case study of an osteoporotic fracture in an elderly man with severe late collapse and neurological impairment. A posterior approach was used with bilateral posterior transpedicular decompression and instrumented arthrodesis with cemented pedicle screws. The post-operative period was incident-free and the patient recovered the neurological deficit and the ability to walk.
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Hermanos Falcó, No 37, 02006, Albacete, Spain, davidcop85@gmail.com.
authors.forename: D Ruiz
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Picazo
authors.forename: J Ramírez
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Villaescusa
authors.forename: E Portero
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: F Doñate
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*