OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effects of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) and conservative therapy in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF).

METHODSThe data of 63 patients with OVCF from Sep. 2007 to Apr. 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 14 males and 49 females,ranging in age from 63 to 92 years, with an average of 73.4 years. Among them, 30 cases(38 vertebrae), 33 cases (35 vertebrae) were respectively treated with PKP, conservative therapy. The VAS score, the height of vertebral body and the neighboring vertebral fracture were observed during follow-up.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up from 10 to 15 months with an average of 13.3 months. Pain relieved in 27 cases with PKP, and VAS scores decreased from 8.32 before treatment to 2.63 at the 1st week after treatment; VAS scores still remained under 2 at the later follow-up. VAS scores had not changed at the 1st week after conservative therapy. VAS scores with conservative therapy were higher than with PKP after 1, 3 months (P < 0.05), but after 6 months, there was no significant difference between conservative therapy and PKP (P > 0.05). The average height of vertebral body on the X-rays increased in 4.1 mm at the 1st week after treatment with PKP (P < 0.01) and unchanged posteriorly. The height of vertebral body had some improvement at 3, 6 months after conservative therapy, but the height of vertebral body with PKP was significantly higher than with conservative therapy (P < 0.01). New fractures occurred in 4 cases (5 vertebrae) with PKP, in 2 cases (2 vertebrae) with conservative therapy.

CONCLUSIONPKP is an effective method in treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, which can relieve pain quickly, increase stability immediately, recover height of vertebral body, but maybe can increase the risk of new fracture. Conservative therapy is not without any merit, as long as systemic treatment can still make good prognosis.