Abstract
Aim: To show the place of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) in the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF). VCF is a common and often debilitating complication of osteoporosis. Although most fractures heal within a few weeks or months, a minority of patients continues to suffer with pain that does not respond to conservative therapy. Methods: PV is accomplished by percutaneous injection of cement into the fractured vertebral body. Reinforcing and stabilizing the fracture provides pain relief. Injection of cement is accomplished under real time using a bilateral transpedicular approach or a unilateral transpedicular or parapedicular route. Results: PV is indicated in patients with severe, persistent and often incapacitating focal back pain not responding to a standard medical therapy of 4 to 12 weeks duration and related to one or more collapsed vertebral bodies. PV should be used earlier in patients at risk of immobilization complications and requiring narcotics. The success rate exceeds 90% and the complication rate is lower than 1%. Most of the complications are transient and should be avoided using good technique. Conclusion: PV should be always considered as a good alternative treatment compared to medical therapy in painful patients with osteoporotic compression fractures.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
