Pain Reduction in Patients with Painful Vertebral Compression Fractures undergoing Percutaneous Vertebroplasty
Buntoeng Pongsoipetch MD*
Affiliation : * Orthopedic Division, Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital
Background : Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is the most common complication of osteoporosis. It
results in significant mortality and morbidity. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a procedure that injects
percutaneously bone cement into a collapsed vertebra.
Objective : To determine the results of PVP in pain reduction from osteoporosis VCF and its complications.
Materials and Methods : Thirty-five patients (34 women, 1 man, 48-98 years) with persistent back pain due to
VCF underwent 66 percutaneous injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) into the vertebrae (27 thoracic
levels, 39 lumbar levels) under fluoroscopic guidance between December 2003 and July 2005. Severity of
back pain was assessed by using visual analog scale (VAS) before and after the operation.
Results : Thirty-two patients (91%) reported significant pain relief, the mean VAS of 35 patients, before PVP
and after an 8-week period, post-operatively, were 6.9 + 1.8 and 2.0 + 1.8 (p = 0.001). There was only one
minor complication. Two patients experienced intermittent sciatic shooting pain. This improved and disap-
peared within three months.
Conclusion : PVP is a minimally invasive procedure providing safe, immediate, and sustained pain reduction
in patients with refractory pain and disability caused by painful VCF.
Keywords : Vertebral compression fracture, Percutaneous vertebroplasty
