title: A prospective randomized controlled study comparing the pain relief in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with the use of vertebroplasty or facet blocking.
abstract: To compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) versus those undergoing facet blocking (FB) for severe pain due to osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs).
  
  
  
  Two hundred and six patients who had OVCFs on spine radiography and intractable back pain for ≤8 weeks were recruited between January 2009 and January 2013 (165 females and 41 males, age ≥55 years). Patients were randomly assigned to the PVP group (100 patients) or the FB group (106 patients). VAS, ODI, Roland Morris disability (RMD) scores, scores on the Standardized Physical Component of the SF-36 form (SPC) and scores on the Standardized Mental Component of the SF-36 form (SMC) were determined preoperatively and at each follow-up time (1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months). In addition, plain radiographs were obtained at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively to detect new fractures.
  
  
  
  Significantly lower VAS, ODI, and RMD scores for patients in the PVP group compared to those in the FB group were observed at follow-up of 1 day and 1 week (p < 0.05). However, differences in the VAS, ODI, RMD and SPC/MCS (SF-36) scores between the two groups at follow-ups of more than 1 month were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Difference in numbers of new fractures in the two groups at the follow-up of 12 months was also statistically insignificant.
  
  
  
  PVP produced better pain relief than FB in the short term (≤1 week). However, the difference in pain-relief between these two techniques was insignificant in the long term (follow-up between 1 month and 12 months).
authors: Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi, China.
authors: Biao
authors: B
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi, China.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Guo
authors: Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi, China.
authors: Dageng
authors: D
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi, China.
authors: Haiping
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi, China. dingjunhaowb@163.com.
authors: Dingjun
authors: D
authors: Hao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000150:complications; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000150:complications; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D054854:Vertebroplasty; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008012:Lidocaine; D011239:Prednisolone
keywords: Facet blocking; Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF); Vertebroplasty