Percutaneous vertebral augmentation: an elevation in adjacent-level fracture risk in kyphoplasty as compared with vertebroplasty.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are being increasingly treated with minimally invasive bone augmentation techniques such as kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty. Both are reported to be an effective means of pain relief; however, there may be an increased risk of developing subsequent VCFs after such procedures. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and complication profile of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty in a single patient series. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A clinical series of 36 patients with VCFs treated by vertebral augmentation procedures was retrospectively analyzed for surgical approach, volume of cement injected, cement extravasation (symptomatic and asymptomatic), the occurrence of subsequent adjacent level fracture, and pain relief. PATIENT SAMPLE: Thirty-six patients with 46 VCFs underwent either kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty after failing conservative therapy. The mean patient age was not significantly different between the kyphoplasty group (70; range, 46-83) and vertebroplasty group (72; range, 38-90) (p=.438). OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes were assessed by using self-report measures (a comparative pain rating scale) and physiologic measures (pre- and postoperative radiographs). METHODS: Thirty-six patients with VCFs underwent 46 augmentation procedures (17 patients had 20 fractures treated via kyphoplasty, and 19 patients had 26 fractures treated via vertebroplasty). Seventeen patients in this series underwent kyphoplasty using standard techniques involving bone void creation with balloon tamps, followed by cement injection. Nineteen patients underwent a percutaneous vertebroplasty procedure using a novel cannulated, fenestrated bone tap developed to direct cement anteriorly into the vertebral body to avoid backflow of cement onto neural elements. RESULTS: Pain improvement was seen in >90% of patients in both groups. Mean cement injection per vertebral body was 4.65 mL and 3.78 mL for the kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty groups, respectively (p=.014). Ninety-five percent of the kyphoplasty procedures were performed bilaterally, whereas only 19% of the vertebroplasty procedures required bilateral augmentation (p<.001). There was no cement extravasation resulting in radiculopathy, or myelopathy in either group. Asymptomatic cement extravasation was seen in 5 of 46 (11%) of the total series (3/20 [15%] and 2/26 [7.7%] of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, respectively) (p=.696). Within a 3-month period, there were 5 new adjacent level fractures seen in 3 patients who underwent a kyphoplasty procedure (5/20 [25%]) and none in the vertebroplasty group (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vertebroplasty appears to offer a comparable rate of postoperative pain relief as kyphoplasty while using less bone cement more often via a unilateral approach and without the attendant risk of adjacent level fracture.     

骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折的微创治疗

骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折常导致患者疼痛、活动受限，特别是随着老龄人群的增加，其发病率逐渐升高。传统采用保守治疗或者手术治疗效果不理想。近年采用椎体成形术(PVP)或后凸成形术(PKP)微创治疗骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折，经皮穿刺椎体内注入骨水泥或先用球囊撑开压缩的椎体后再注入骨水泥进行椎体强化，可以达到稳定骨折、恢复椎体力学强度和缓解疼痛的目的=本文就有关这种微创治疗骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折的最新进展加以综述。     

Percutaneous vertebral body cement augmentation for back pain related to occult osteomyelitis/diskitis

Although complications related to vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty are few, we treated 2 patients with vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty for pain, presumed to be due to vertebral compression fractures, which were subsequently found to be due to occult osteomyelitis/diskitis. The onset of their infections appeared to have preceded their vertebral body augmentation procedures and was possibly due to prior interventional procedures for histories of back pain.An 86-year-old woman had had 3 prior kyphoplasty procedures for fractures at T10, T11, and L1. She reported continued severe pain, and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging was misinterpreted for another fracture at T12, resulting in her fourth kyphoplasty. She became septic and had some improvement with antibiotics, but she declined specialty care and died. A 74-year-old man with chronic back pain had recently undergone lumbar facet joint injections. Computed tomography and subsequent bone scan found uptake at both L2 and L3. Despite abnormal erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level and normal radiographic vertebral height, he underwent a vertebroplasty. His pain increased, and subsequent workup found L2-3 diskitis. He recovered with antibiotics and specialty care. Similar to prior reports of spondylodiskitis, both patients had multiple medical comorbidities.This article emphasizes the need for clinical reevaluation and scrutiny in the interpretation of imaging studies, including for infection in patients with continued pain after spinal procedures. The differential diagnosis of infectious etiology is an important consideration prior to vertebral cement augmentation for presumed fragility fracture.     

Balloon kyphoplasty versus percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures: clinical and radiological outcomes

BACKGROUND CONTEXTOsteoporotic vertebral body compression fracture are the commonest fractures amongst the other osteoporotic fracture sites. These fragility fractures are the result of low energy mechanical forces that that would not ordinarily result in fracture. Percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty has been widely used as minimally invasive procedures to treat painful vertebral compression fractures.PURPOSEAim of the present study was to evaluate radiological, clinical and functional outcome of patients with osteoporotic vertebral body fractures treated with Balloon Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty.STUDY DESIGNProspective cohort studyPATIENT SAMPLE40 patients (Male:15, Female: 25) with average age of 56 +/- 8 years diagnosed with osteoporotic vertebral body compression fracture on clinical and radiological evaluation with no neurological deficit and no other associated fractures were included.OUTCOME MEASURESOperative time, cost for the procedure, gain in vertebral body height, reduction in pain, ability to perform daily routine activities, risk of cement leakage and any other systemic complications were evaluated and compared in both the study groups.METHODSAll the patients underwent conventional Xray, MRI (to rule out acute from chronic fracture, to check compromise of spinal canal and calculate collapse in vertebral body height), Visual analog scaling for severity of pain and difficulty in daily routine activities by Oswestry disability index preoperatively. Post operative clinal, functional, radiological outcome and complications were compared in patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty.RESULTThere was significant difference in intraoperative time period and procedure cost for the patients treated with Vertebroplasty(50.75min, 25k) in comparison to balloon kyphoplasty (71.95, 50k) with p value being < .001There was significant difference between preoperative and postoperative study parameters in both the study groups but there was no significant difference in post operative study parameters amongst both the study groups with p values >.05 for different parameters, 0.381(Gain in vertebral height), 0.108 (pain relief), 0.846(Oswestry disability index) and 0.197(risk of cement leakage)CONCLUSIONOur study suggested that percutaneous vertebroplasty requires less operative time and is more economical than balloon kyphoplasty. Increase in intraoperative time increases the risk of infection. Though the cases of Intraoperative operative cement leakage were more in percutaneous vertebroplasty but is was not significant. However the final radiological, clinical, functional outcome and overall complications were found to be similar in both the groups. Balloon kyphoplasty provided no added benefit over percutaneous vertebroplasty. A study with larger sample size will be needed to warrant one surgical procedure superior to other in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral body compression fracture.     

Preliminary results with modified techniques of balloon kyphoplasty for vertebra plana, traumatic fractures and neoplasms

Percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty are less invasive treatment options than open surgery for patients with vertebral compression fractures. With balloon kyphoplasty, the injection of bone cement is preceded by inflation and removal of bone tamps (balloons) inside the fractured vertebral body. This allows for the creation of a void, where viscous cement is delivered resulting in a lower risk for cement leakage than with vertebroplasty. Another advantage of the balloon inflation is the potential to correct the deformity and restore sagittal alignment. The percutaneous techniques normally require intact pedicles and intact posterior elements. We found that modifying the technique made it suitable for the management of vertebra plana, traumatic fractures, and neoplasms. Our study documents the different modified techniques and the clinical results obtained within the first 21 patients.     

Short-segment pedicle instrumentation with transpedicular bone grafting for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures involving the posterior edge

Most osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) can be treated successfully with conservative methods. In about 10% of patients, nonunion develops and warrants surgical management with minimally invasive procedures such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Nevertheless, for patients with nonunion fractures that involve the posterior vertebral body wall, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are relatively contraindicated due to the risk of extravertebral polymethylmethacrylate cement leakage through vertebral fracture cracks. To this end, we developed a method for pedicle screw fixation combined with transpedicular bone grafting for such a condition. Briefly, after posterior pedicle screw fixation and reduction in the affected vertebra, the demineralized bone matrix was inserted into the vertebral body via a ‘bone grafting funnel’ created through the pedicle of the affected vertebra. The current retrospective study analysed the safety and efficacy of this approach. A total of 12 patients who fulfilled the criteria were treated with this procedure. Visual analogue scale scores for back pain and anterior vertebral heights were recorded. At 3-month follow-up, pain was significantly relieved compared with presurgery and the anterior vertebral heights were successfully restored and maintained. In conclusion, short-segment pedicle instrumentation combined with transpedicular bone grafting is a useful alternative in the treatment of nonunion of OVFs with loss of posterior edge integrity.     

Die Wertigkeit der Ballonkyphoplastie bei der osteoporotischen Wirbelkörperfraktur

BACKGROUND DATA: Patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures frequently complain of pain and a loss of function and mobility. Such fractures are associated with an increased mortality. The common treatment with bed rest, bracing or osteosynthesis does not lead to satisfying results. With two new surgical techniques, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, an internal stabilisation of osteoporotic vertebral fractures is possible. METHODS: All patients were treated by kyphoplasty. With a minimal invasive dorsal approach, an inflatable bone tamp is placed in the fractured vertebral body. This tamp can restore the vertebral body height and create a cavity, which is filled with bone cement under low pressure. The advantage of kyphoplasty compared to vertebroplasty is the restoration of the vertebral height and a decreased cement leakage rate. We performed a prospective, interdisciplinary study with a follow-up of 12 months. We treated 192 vertebral fractures in 102 patients. Augmentation was performed with polymethylmethacrylate in 138 cases and with a new injectable calcium phosphate-cement in 54 vertebral bodies. Outcome data were obtained with two different spine-scores and by the radiomorphometric evaluation of x-rays before and after treatment. RESULTS: We noticed a significant improvement in pain and function in 89% of the patients. All patients showed a regain of vertebral height of on average 17%. In 7% of all treated vertebral bodies, we noticed cement leakage, which was, however, far below the rates published for vertebroplasty (20-70%). There were two complications, bleeding due to an unknown coagulopathy and a violation of the myelon by malpunction. CONCLUSION: Kyphoplasty is a reliable and minimally invasive method for stabilizing fractured osteoporotic vertebral bodies. Improvement of pain and function and a regain in height of the treated vertebral body can be accomplished.     

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty update

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are minimally invasive vertebral augmentation procedures in which a filler material is percutaneously injected into a vertebral body for the treatment of vertebral fractures associated with osteoporosis, malignant conditions, hemangiomas, and osteonecrosis. In vertebroplasty, the filler is injected directly into the bone, whereas in kyphoplasty, the filler is injected into a cavity created by inflation of a balloon tamp. The goals of treatment include pain relief, fracture stabilization, restoration of vertebral height, and strengthening of the vertebral body to reduce the risk of a future fracture at the same level. When performed by a well-trained physician in appropriately selected patients, vertebral augmentation is usually effective in achieving one or more of these goals, with a generally good short-term safety profile. Although these procedures hold great promise in the management of vertebral fractures, many questions about long-term efficacy and safety remain.     

Respective contributions of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty to the management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures

Among individuals aged 50-80 years, 5-20% have one or more vertebral crush fractures. One-third of these patients require treatment for acute or chronic pain. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty were introduced over the last two decades as treatments for incapacitating pain from osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Both techniques proved effective and safe in numerous retrospective and prospective studies. They now deserve to be incorporated into the standard treatment strategy for painful and incapacitating vertebral fractures. Kyphoplasty seeks not only to stabilize the vertebra, but also to correct the kyphosis induced by the vertebral body collapse. However, the correction is often limited (less than 15 degrees ) and has not been shown to increase the benefits in terms of pain relief or quality-of-life improvement, compared to vertebroplasty. Kyphoplasty is more costly than vertebroplasty, which is therefore emerging as the treatment of choice. However, a randomized double-blind trial comparing vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty is needed. Furthermore, a randomized comparison of vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty versus noninterventional treatment is needed in patients admitted for pain immediately after a vertebral crush fracture.     

骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折椎体成形术后非手术椎体再骨折危险因素探讨

骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折(osteoprosis vertebral compression fracture,OVCF)是老年性及绝经后骨质疏松症患者最常见的严重并发症,骨折患者常有骨性疼痛、椎体高度下降、脊柱后凸畸形等临床表现,严重影响患者生活质量。经皮椎体成形术(percutaneous vertebroplasty,PVP)、经皮椎体后凸成形术(percutaneous kyphoplasty,PKP)及网袋加压椎体成形术(vesselplasty)是治疗OVCF的常用术式,在恢复椎体高度、预防后凸畸形、减轻疼痛症状等方面优势突出。但OVCF患者椎体成形术后存在非手术椎体再发骨折的可能性,在影响手术质量的同时,对患者术后康复、生活质量、经济负担均有较大影响。椎体成形术后非手术椎体再发骨折与骨质疏松进程、初始骨折部位及数量等自身客观因素相关,也与术后椎体高度的过度恢复、骨水泥渗漏、骨水泥过度填充等手术因素密切相关。本文通过查阅近年来关于OVCF患者椎体成形术后非手术椎体再发骨折危险因素及原因文献报道,综述经过统计学方法验证的,具有统计学意义的危险因素,通过患者自身因素、手术因素等方面展开探讨,以期能够为临床降低OVCF患者椎体成形术后再发骨折的发生率提供相关参考。     

Vertébroplastie et cyphoplastie par ballonnets

Since the first report more than 20 years ago, vertebroplasty is now performed as a routine procedure by radiologists. The main goal of this technique is to fill the fractured vertebral body with PMMA cement to improve its stability. The efficiency of vertebroplasty on spinal pain related to osteoporotic fractures or the tumorous process has been widely described in the literature. However, the main problem of this percutaneous approach is the risk of cement leakage; to avoid this danger, balloon kyphoplasty was developed. There are two main goals of using balloons: first to reduce the deformity of the fractured vertebral body by inflation and then to fill the cavity created with cement injected without pressure. During the last 8 years kyphoplasty has been used and has shown its efficacy on spinal pain related to osteoporotic fractures, tumorous processes, and myeloma. Reducing the risk of cement leakage was also an opportunity to increase percutaneous technique indications in the treatment of various spinal diseases. These two techniques require appropriate training and are associated with a long learning curve. They must be used in optimal technical conditions, with strict asepsis and a good radioscopic device. The possibilities of treating various spinal pathologies (osteoporosis, tumors, and myeloma) with vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty are interesting, but a multidisciplinary approach with the skills of an oncologist, a radiologist, spine surgeons, and a rheumatologist is most advantageous.     

Percutaneous vertebral augmentation.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: With the aging of the population, painful osteoporotic compression fractures are becoming more common. PURPOSE: To review the physiologic implications of these injuries as well as treatment options and outcomes, especially with reference to newer, percutaneous "augmentation" procedures, that is, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A literature review. METHODS: No direct, randomized studies comparing vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty and standard, nonoperative care are available. RESULTS: The growing literature suggests a role for kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty in the management of patients with intractable pain or progressive vertebral collapse after vertebral compression fracture. Both procedures likely offer similar rates of pain relief. Kyphoplasty, although more expensive, may allow fracture reduction. The void created with the balloon tamp allows a more viscous cement to be applied, thereby decreasing the risk of extravasation. CONCLUSIONS: More study is required to understand the ideal role of these new techniques in the management of spinal osteoporosis and associated fractures. However, for carefully selected cases, current data suggest that the complication rates are low and pain relief can be profound.     

Does the complication rate and treatment effect of balloon kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty differ in countries or specialties of operators?

Purpose

Vertebral compression fracture results in back pain, kyphotic deformity, loss of vertebral height, and restriction in daily activity. Conservative treatment, including analgesics, bed rest, and bracing, did not show up for good clinical control. Recently, minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, could become popular because of quick relief of pain. The goal of this review is to find out whether the complication rates and treatment effects differ in countries or specialties of operators.

Materials and Methods

Detailed searches of electronic databases (i.e. Pubmed, Cochrane library) were performed from 1987 to April 2007. Outcome measures of efficacy included visual analog scale decrease, change in kyphotic angle, restoration of vertebral height, and improvement of functional capacity. Outcome measures of safety were cement leakage, new vertebral compression fracture, and complications.

Results

There is a trend of increasing publications regarding these two procedures, especially in vertebroplasty. We found a higher level of cement leakage rate in vertebroplasty than in kyphoplasty. We also found that reduction in kyphotic angle was better in kyphoplasty than in vertebroplasty. These results were compatible with other literatures. Cement leakage rates were lower in neurosurgery department (20.6%) and orthopedic department (24.7%) than radiology department (52.9%).

Conclusions

The procedure operated by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons tend to have lower cement leakage rate. One possible reason was that the neurosurgeons and the orthopedic surgeons are more familiar with the anatomical information needed for the procedure. Another possible explanation was that the radiologists might have more sufficient data to report the complications than the clinicians.     

Kyphoplastik im konventionellen und halboffenen Verfahren

Kyphoplasty is a young method which was developed for the minimally invasive augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. In contrast to vertebroplasty, the kyphoplasty technique allows an age-dependent fracture reduction through the inflation of a special balloon in the fractured cancellous bone of the vertebral body. The cancellous bone of the fracture zone is compressed by the balloon, so that a cavity remains in the vertebral body after removing the balloon, which is filled with highly viscous augmentation material. The reduced risk of serious complications, for example epidural leakage of augmentation material, justifies progressively expanding the indications for this technique to traumatic fractures with involvement of the posterior vertebral wall and neoplastic vertebral collapse due to osteolytic metastasis. Besides the indications for the conventional percutaneous approaches, the microsurgical interlaminary approach allows the use of kyphoplasty in more complex fractures involving compression of the neural structures. Kyphoplasty induces swift pain relief and allows rapid mobilisation of patients due to the immediate stabilisation of the affected vertebral bodies. Apart from the operative intervention, the medical treatment of the primary disease and the rehabilitation of the individual patient should be optimised through an interdisciplinary approach.     

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty in Spinal Trauma

Abstract Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty have become recognized procedures for the treatment of vertebral fractures, especially in patients with osteoporosis. In most cases of osteoporotic spinal vertebral fracture in elderly patients, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement is used to fill the defect and stabilize the vertebral body. The techniques of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty differ in the possibility of realignment and reconstruction of the vertebral body and spinal column. Long-term results in terms of integration of the cement and bioreactivity of the vertebral body are still lacking; so, these procedures are still no options in the treatment of younger patients. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty show different success in the management of fresh traumatic spine fractures. The acute traumatic vertebral fracture has to be classified sensitively, to find the right indication for cement augmentation. Mild acute compression fractures can be treated by vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, severe compression and burst fractures by combination of internal fixation and kyphoplasty. The indications for use of biological or osteoinductive cement in spinal fracture management must still be regarded as restricted owing to the lack of basic biomechanical research data. Such cement should not be used except in clinical studies.     

经双侧椎弓根通道椎体后凸成形术治疗胸腰椎椎体转移性肿瘤

目的探讨经皮双侧椎弓根通道椎体后凸成形术在胸腰椎椎体转移性肿瘤治疗中的临床疗效和安全性.方法：对17例胸腰椎椎体转移性肿瘤患者共25椎节行经皮双侧椎弓根通道球囊扩张,骨水泥注入.对患者疼痛程度及功能障碍情况分别采用视觉模拟评分和功能障碍指数于治疗前后进行评估.对骨水泥渗漏情况,各例术后以正侧位X线平片判断骨水泥渗漏为X线平片渗漏率,以注射节段CT薄层扫描评判骨水泥渗漏为CT渗漏率,进行统计计算.结果：所有患者均顺利完成手术,无-例症状性骨水泥渗漏发生.术后胸腰背痛缓解明显.VAS 评分术前为（7.2±1.1）分、术后3 d内为（2.3±0.9）分、术后3个月为（2.5±1.1）分.ODI 评分术前为（70.1±1.1）分、术后3 d内为（33.1±1.2）分、术后3个月为（35.2±1.4）分.计算得骨水泥X线平片渗漏率为32%,CT渗漏率为38%.结论：经皮椎体后凸成形术可有效缓解椎体转移性肿瘤患者腰背部疼痛,改善患者日常生活功能;双侧穿刺通道可降低骨水泥渗漏率及减少症状性骨水泥渗漏发生.     

Balloon kyphoplasty in the management of vertebral compression fractures: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review updates the understanding of the evidence base for balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) in the management of vertebral compression fractures. Detailed searches of a number of electronic databases were performed from March to April 2006. Citation searches of included studies were undertaken and no language restrictions were applied. All controlled and uncontrolled studies were included with the exception of case reports. Prognostic factors responsible for pain relief and cement leakage were examined using meta-regression. Combined with previous evidence, a total of eight comparative studies (three against conventional medical therapy and five against vertebroplasty) and 35 case series were identified. The majority of studies were undertaken in older women with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with long-term pain that was refractory to medical treatment. In direct comparison to conventional medical management, patients undergoing BKP experienced superior improvements in pain, functionality, vertebral height and kyphotic angle at least up to 3-years postprocedure. Reductions in pain with BKP appeared to be greatest in patients with newer fractures. Uncontrolled studies suggest gains in health-related quality of life at 6 and 12-months following BKP. Although associated with a finite level of cement leakage, serious adverse events appear to be rare. Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures appear to be associated with a higher level of cement leakage following BKP than non-osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. In conclusion, there are now prospective studies of low bias, with follow-up of 12 months or more, which demonstrate balloon kyphoplasty to be more effective than medical management of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures and as least as effective as vertebroplasty. Results from ongoing RCTs will provide further information in the near future. This report has been undertaken through unrestricted funding by Kyphon Inc. The planning, conduct and conclusions of this report are made independently from the company.     

Balloon kyphoplasty versus vertebroplasty for treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture: a prospective, comparative, and randomized clinical study

Summary  

Bone pain and spinal axial deformity are major concerns in aged patients suffering from osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF). Pain can be relieved by vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty procedures, in which the compressed vertebral body is filled with substitutes. We randomly assigned 100 patients with osteoporotic compression fracture at the thoraco-lumbar (T-L) junction into two groups: vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty; we used polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as the bone filler. Pain before and after treatment was assessed with visual analog scale (VAS) scores and vertebral body height and kyphotic wedge angle were measured from reconstructed computed tomography images. More PMMA was used in the kyphoplasty group than in the vertebroplasty group (5.56 ± 0.62 vs. 4.91 ± 0.65 mL, p < 0.001). Vertebral body height and kyphotic wedge angle of the T-L spine were also improved (p < 0.001). VAS pain scores did not differ significantly between the treatment groups. The duration of follow-up was 6 months. Two patients in the kyphoplasty group had an adjacent segment fracture. In terms of clinical outcome there was little difference between the treatment groups. Thus, owing to the higher cost of the kyphotic balloon procedure, we recommend vertebroplasty over kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic VCFs.     

Kyphoplastie und Vertebroplastie bei osteoporotischen Wirbelkörperkompressionsfrakturen

Background

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty using the data presented in recently published papers with respect to pain relief, function, complication rate, and incidence of new vertebral fractures.

Methods

Detailed searches for English-language and German-language articles published between 2002 and 2009 were performed in a number of electronic databases. Because of the large number of case series, we considered only systematic reviews and controlled studies. The internal validity of reviews and studies was judged by two authors independently. Data extraction was performed by one author, and extracted data were checked for completeness and correctness by a second author.

Results

A total of eight systematic reviews, primarily summarizing results from case series, and 11 controlled studies, two of which were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), were included. Both kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty significantly reduce pain in the majority of patients and can lead to short-term and possibly long-term improvement of function. Kyphoplasty induces fewer clinically relevant complications than vertebroplasty does, and there is presently stronger evidence for its efficacy compared with vertebroplasty. There is inconclusive evidence about the risk of new fractures after kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty.

Conclusion

Both procedures seem to be equally effective, but kyphoplasty is safer than vertebroplasty. New results, specifically from RCTs comparing the two procedures, are needed to provide more definitive data.     

Osteoporosebedingte Wirbelkörperfrakturen

Vertebral compression fractures are among the most common forms of manifestations of osteoporosis. Conservative treatment comprises adequate analgesia, osteoporosis medication and individualized physiotherapy or braces. Nevertheless, vertebral compression fractures frequently lead to persisting pain and decrease daily activity and quality of life. In these cases, kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty can be efficient treatment options. Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure, in which bone cement is filled into the vertebral body under fluoroscopic control. In most cases, this internal stabilization leads to a rapid reduction in pain. Kyphoplasty additionally aims to correct the kyphotic deformation of the broken vertebra via introducing and inflating a balloon catheter. There is broad clinical experience with both procedures. For kyphoplasty, randomized controlled trials showed significant improvements in pain and quality of life in patients undergoing kyphoplasty. However, cement leakages lead to rare but severe complications such as pulmonary embolism and nerve palsies.