VERTEBROPLASTY: SUSTAINED VERTEBRAL WEDGE ANGLE AND HEIGHTS IN A ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF TYPE II OSTEOPOROTIC VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURES

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Retrospective evaluation of short-term (8 weeks) and long-term (54 weeks) radiologic follow-up of vertebral wedge angle and anterior, center and posterior vertebral heights after Percutaneous VertebroPlasty (PVP) in type II Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures (OVCF).

Methods: Between September 2002 and August 2007 47 PVP’s were performed in 25 consecutive patients (5 male, 20 female (age 70 ± 9,5 yrs) with OVCF’s type II (mean fracture age: 35.0 weeks (range: 10.0 – 136.7)). With pre-vertebroplasty conventional radiographs and MRI’s, post-vertebroplasty CT’s and conventional radiographs follow-up of the vertebral compression fractures were analyzed.

Analysis of vertebral morphometrics with emphasis of the vertebral wedge angle and height of the vertebral body at the anterior, center and posterior border. Determining the loss and gain of height of the vertebra with OVCF pre- and post-PVP up to one year, using pre-PVP estimated heights.

Results: A mean wedge angle reduction of 2.9° and anterior- and center heigth gain of 4.4% and 5.6% directly post-PVP, posterior height remained stable. The parameters at short- and long-term follow-up compared to the pre-PVP parameters showed no significant differences accept for anterior height.

Conclusion: Besides alleviating the refractory back pain in patients a limited decrease in wedge angle and increase of anterior and center height is possible in type II OVCF. Although the long-term follow-up depicts a slight anterior height loss, the wedge angle and restored center height were stable.