title: Evaluation of the quality of life after vertebroplasty to treat compressive osteoporotic fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  with increasing life expectancy around the world, fractures due to osteoporosis have become more common and the expenditure for treating them has also increased. The aim here was to evaluate the improvement in pain and quality of life among patients with compressive osteoporotic vertebral fractures undergoing vertebroplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  eighteen patients with 27 fractured vertebrae underwent vertebroplasty and were evaluated using the Oswestry 2.0 limitations questionnaire before the operation and 24 h and six months after the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there was a 75% improvement in pain and quality of life, going from a mean preoperative Oswestry of 40% to 10% 24 h after the operation and 9% six months after the operation (p ≤ 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  vertebroplasty is effective in managing compressive osteoporotic vertebral fractures, with improvement in pain and quality of life in the immediate postoperative period and over the medium term.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato Faria
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Julio César Simas
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Frederico Barra
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: de Moraes
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Luiz Passos
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilson Eloy
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Pimenta Junior
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Murilo Tavares
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Daher
keywords: Quality of life; Vertebral fractures; Vertebroplasty