Clinical Experience of Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in 40 Cases of Vertebral Body Collapse

Object: In cases of vertebral body fractures in osteoporotic elderly patients, pain markedly limits the patients' mobility and daily activities, and medical or surgical treatments gave little improvement. The authors experienced percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP) of osteoporotic vertebral bodies, which has recently been introduced as a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of pain associated with compression fractures, using an injectable materials–polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) or mineral bone cement.

Methods: The technique was used in 30 patients (18 women and 12 men) with 40 compression fractures (24 thoracic and 16 lumbar) who were suffering from disabling back pain refractory to analgesic therapy. The mean age of the patients was 71.2 years, ranging 66–81. The procedure involved percutaneous puncture of the involved vertebrate) via transpedicular approach under biplane fluoroscopic guidance, followed by injection of PMMA into the vertebral bodies through a disposable 11–gauge Jamshidi needle. The procedure was technically successful in all patients, with an average injection amount of 5.1 mL PMMA per vertebral body, and no clinically significant complications were noted. 28 patients (93%) reported significant pain relief immediately after treatment.

Conclusion: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a valuable tool in the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral body fractures in elderly, providing acute pain relief and early mobilization in appropriate patients.