[Vertebroplasty in osteoporotic vertebral compression].

Background and Purpose: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are a frequently encountered clinical problem. We aimed to perform a critical, structured review of the current literature and to compare the results with our own experiences.
Material and Methods: A structured review of 7 studies about vertebroplasty in osteoporotic compression fractures was performed; each study assessed at least 16 patients and was published in English since 1997. The results were compared to our own experience in 22 patients treated in 2002.
Results: Over the past decade, vertebroplasty has increasingly been performed for the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures. In good correlation with our own results, all authors reported a significant improvement of pain immediately after treatment and a reduction of pain of up to 90% within 24 h after vertebroplasty. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the use of analgetics and a substantial improvement of functional status has been described in recent studies. In our own evaluation, we were also able to demonstrate a significant improvement of pain after vertebroplasty in 17 of 22 (77%) of our patients. 18 of 22 (82%) patients were able to diminish or even discontinue their analgesic medication.
Discussion: Reported results for vertebroplasty have demonstrated a rapid improvement in pain and physical functioning in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Percutaneous vertebroplasty has proven to provide a valuable treatment option for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.