Prospective analysis of clinical outcomes after percutaneous vertebroplasty for painful osteoporotic vertebral body fractures

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies have retrospectively reported the positive effects of percutaneous vertebroplasty. The purpose of our study was to evaluate prospectively the effects of vertebroplasty on mobility, analgesic use, pain, and SF-36 (short-form 36-item) scales for patients with painful vertebral compression fractures that are refractory to medical therapy. METHODS: We prospectively followed 167 patients who received 207 vertebroplasty treatment sessions for stabilization of 264 symptomatic vertebral compression fractures between August 1999 and January 2003. The average age of patients was 74.6 years (SD = 12.2 years), and 76% were women. Pre- and postprocedural measurements of pain, mobility, analgesic use, and SF-36 scales were compared at 1 month after the procedure and between 6 months and 3 years after the procedure with the SF-36 scales. RESULTS: Respective pre- and post-treatment pain scores were 8.71 (SE = 0.1) and 2.77 (SE = 0.18; P < .00001). Respective pre- and post-treatment analgesic use scores were 2.93 (SE = 0.9) and 1.64 (SE = 0.09; P < .00001): Respective pre- and post-treatment activity levels were 2.66 (SE = 0.1) and 1.64 (SE = 0.11; P < .00001). There was a statistically significant improvement on nine of 10 SF-36 scales (P < .001) after 1 month and on eight of 10 SF-36 scales (P < .02) at long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous vertebroplasty offers statistically significant benefits in decreasing pain, decreasing use of analgesics, and increasing mobility in appropriately selected patients. Percutaneous vertebroplasty also offers a statistically significant benefit in most SF-36 scales at both short- and long-term follow-up.