EFFECT OF BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY TREATMENT FOR OSTEOPOROTIC VERTEBRAL FRACTURE ON SPINAL BALANCE

Introduction: Osteoporotic vertebral fractures and spinal degeneration are common consequences of aging, and co-occurrence of these two pathologies can impair spinal balance leading to development of further deformities. The most common treatment measure for osteoporotic vertebral fractures is percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty which can potentially improve spinal balance along the sagittal and coronal planes. However, there is limited evidence in support of this issue to date. Materials and Methods: This study included 49 patients (27 males, 22 females) who were diagnosed with osteoporotic vertebral fracture. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and one year postoperatively using three-dimensional thoracolumbar computed tomography scans. The lumbar lordosis and sacral slope angle were used to assess the sagittal plane, while coronal plane assessment was carried out using Cobb’s angle. The angle values before and after treatment were compared statistically. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 72.16 years (range: 61–94 years), and 28.6% and 71.4% of the patients exhibited thoracic and lumbar vertebral fractures, respectively. Moreover, 19 patients exhibited spontaneous or minor traumatic vertebral fractures, and 16 patients diagnosed with degenerative scoliosis exhibited a significant improvement in Cobb’s angle after treatment. The comparison of pre-and postoperative mean sacral slope and lumbar lordosis angles showed an increase in both values and these differences, although not statistically significant, in agreement with previous literature. Conclusion: Percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty has become an increasingly popular treatment measure for osteoporotic vertebral fracture due to its ability to effectively correct spinal imbalance in patients. Keywords: Kyphoplasty; Osteoporosis; Spinal Fractures; Postural Balance.