Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2005 , Vol 8, Issue 1
ASSESSMENT FOR EFFICACY OF VERTEBROPLASTY AND KYPHOPLASTY IN THE TREATMENT OF PAINFUL OSTEOPOROTIC VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURES IN ELDERLY PATIENTS
Gülşah BADEMCİ, Zafer AYDIN, Funda BATAY, Ayhan ATTAR, Şükrü ÇAĞLAR
Kırıkkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroşirürji Anabilim Dalı
Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroşirürji Anabilim Dalı
Bayındır Hastanesi Nörolojik Bilimler Merkezi, Nöroşirürji Bölümü
Purpose: It is aimed to increase health-related quality of life and to avoid the clinical consequences of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in elderly patients by performing vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Material-Methods: Nine elderly patients (two men, seven women, aged over 60) with painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were treated with vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty in University of Ankara Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery between 2003-2004. The efficacy of the procedures was assessed clinically and radiographically.

Results: Osteoporotic vertebrae fractures were slightly more common in females in our series. All the patients had low bone mineral density and intractable pain. Clinical outcomes were unchanged following medical and physical therapy. In one of the nine patients undergone thoracolomber vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, the cement leaked into the epidural space after kyphoplasty causing no change in its therapeutic benefits. All the patients had good pain relief, improved function and vertebral body elevation at a rate of 88.8%. There was no mortality and morbidity. All the patients were mobilized the day after the procedures were performed and discharged within three days postoperatively.

Conclusion: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures represent a significant cause of disability and mortality in the elderly. The surgical treatment of these fractures should address the need to reduce the fracture related pain and the kyphotic deformity and to provide better quality of life to the elderly patients in a minimally invasive fashion. Keywords : Vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, osteoporosis, vertebrae, compression fractures