title: An evaluation of the functional and radiological results of percutaneous vertebroplasty versus conservative treatment for acute symptomatic osteoporotic spinal fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to compare the results of the two different treatment regimens (percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) and conservative treatment (CT)) regarding to efficacy, quality of life, functional and radiological results in patients with acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 83 patients who presented with complaints of OVF associated with osteoporosis and were treated with CT (37) or PV (46). All patients were evaluated according to preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and plain radiographs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients in VP group reported a significant decrease in pain at 1st day postoperative. While Pain relief and functional outcomes were significantly better in PV group than CT at 1st and 3rd months according to VAS and ODI scores, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups at 6th months follow-up. The mean preoperative local sagittal Cobb angle (LSCA) and the mean vertebra corpus mid-level height (MVCH) were 42.3° and 14.6 mm in the PV group, while they were measured as 39.8° and 15.7 mm in CT group, respectively. 15.6° decreasing the LSCA and 10.2 mm increasing MVCH were noted in the PV group at the 6th month follow-up. While LSCA increased 19.1° and MVCH decreased 7.6mm in CT group at same time period (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to the CT group, PV provides a rapid decrease of pain and an early return to daily life activities. Although improvement was observed on the radiological findings following treatment in the PV group, PV may not enhance the quality of life in patients with acute OVF at 6th months follow up.
authors.affiliation: Akdeniz University, School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Turkey. Electronic address: hbalkarli@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balkarli
authors.affiliation: Samsun 19 Mayıs University, School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. Electronic address: meslic@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.affiliation: Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Department of Rheumatology, 07100 Antalya, Turkey. Electronic address: drayseayan@yahoo.com.tr.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balkarli
authors.affiliation: Samsun 19 Mayıs University, School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. Electronic address: murat.erdogan@omu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erdogan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000072700:Conservative Treatment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D010146:Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey; D054854:Vertebroplasty
keywords: Acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures; Conservative treatment; Kyphosis; Percutaneous vertebroplasty