Effect of vertebroplasty with bone cement on osteoporotic compression fractures in elderly patients

Objective: To explore the effect of vertebroplasty with bone cement on elderly patients with osteoporotic compression fractures. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 130 patients with osteoporotic compression fractures treated at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2018 to January 2022. According to different treatment methods, 50 patients who underwent conservative treatment were included in a control group (CG), and 80 patients who underwent vertebroplasty were included in a research group (RG). The anterior vertebral height, kyphotic Cobb angle, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score in both groups were observed before and after treatment. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The quality of life and efficacy were evaluated in both groups. Results: After treatment, the anterior vertebral height in the RG exhibited a significant increase compared to that before treatment, and both groups showed a significant decrease in the Cobb angle and ODI (P<0.05). Furthermore, the RG exhibited notably higher anterior vertebral height, and significantly lower Cobb angle and ODI than the CG after treatment (P<0.05). The post-treatment VAS score decreased significantly in both groups (P<0.05), and was lower in the RG than that in CG (P<0.05). After treatment, the quality of life scores improved significantly in both groups (P<0.05), but the RG demonstrated significantly higher scores in the role-emotional, physical functioning, social functioning, and general health (GH) dimensions compared to the CG (P<0.05). The total response rate in the CG was significantly lower than that in the RG (P<0.05). Age, course of disease, underlying disease, distribution of bone cement, and leakage of bone cement were found to be risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that course of disease, distribution of bone cement, and leakage of bone cement were independent risk factors affecting prognosis. Conclusions: Vertebroplasty with bone cement is an effective treatment for elderly patients suffering from osteoporotic compression fractures. This intervention can improve anterior vertebral height, kyphotic Cobb angle, and ODI, while alleviating pain and enhancing the quality of life. Given its promising clinical outcomes, this treatment is highly recommended.