OBJECTIVETo investigate and analyses feasibility and therapeutic effect of pedicle of vertebral arch drilling in the treatment of old vertebrae compression fracture patients suffering back pain.

METHODSFrom May 2004 to December 2011, 19 patients with back pain caused of old vertebrae compression fracture were treated by vertebral body decompression with drilling. There were 13 males and 6 females with with an average age of 61 years old ranging from 44 to 78 years. The course of disease was 3 months to 8 years (means 2.5 years). Among them,6 cases were chest-back pain and 13 were lumbodorsal pain. The thoracic vertebrae fracture involved in 9 segments, lumbar vertebrae fracture involved in 18 segments, vertebral height lose

RESULTSNineteen patients were followed up from 6 months to 3 years. The symtoms were not recurrened. The VAS score was 5.7+/-0.3 preoperative and 2.3+/-0.2 postoperative. The pain relieved obviously in 4 patients and mainly in 5 patients at 24 hours after operation, and the pain relieved obviously in 10 patients and mainly in 9 patients at 48 hours after operation.

CONCLUSIONVertebral drill decompression is an effective method for the treatment of old osteoporotic compression fractures with minimally invasive and low complication.