OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlative factors of non-surgical vertebral fractures after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(OVCFs).

METHODSFrom August 2009 to September 2011, 126 patients who underwent single-level PVP for OVCFs were included in this study. They were followed up with an average time of 13.6 months,divided into the refracture group and non-refracture group according to the onset of non-surgical vertebral fractures or not. In refracture group,there were 14 males and 18 females with an average age of (67.63+/-7.28) years(ranged, 54 to 82); and in non-refracture group,there were 40 males and 54 females with an average age of (66.26+/-6.79) years (ranged, 55 to 76). The refracture group wps divided again into adjacent vertebral fracture (AVF) group (7 males and 13 females) and remote vertebral fracture(RVF) group (4 males and 8 females). The age, sex, bone mineral density(BMD), injecting bone cement volume, the recovery rate of vertebral body height,kyphosis corrected degree were recorded and the correlative factors of non-surgical vertebral fractures were analyzed.

RESULTSThere was no statistically significant differences in age, sex, BMD, injecting bone cement volume and kyphosis corrected degree between refracture group and non-refracture group (P>0.05), and there was statistically significant difference in the recovery rate of vertebral body height (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in BMD, kyphosis corrected degree between adjacent vertebral fracture group and non-refracture group (P>0.05); and there was statistically significant difference in injecting bone cement volume,recovery rate of vertebral body height(P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in BMD,injecting bone cement volume,recovery rate of vertebral body height, kyphosis corrected degree between remote vertebral fracture group and non-refracture group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONRecovery of vertebral body height may prefigure increasing risk of refracture in non-surgical vertebral body for the patient with OVCFs after PVP, and the adjacent vertebral fracture maybe concerned with injecting bone cement volume and recovery rate of vertebral body height.