Comparison of Clinical and Radiological Outcomes after Vertebroplasty and Balloon Kyphoplasty in the Treatment of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures.

Background: Vertebroplasty (VP) and balloon kyphoplasty (KP) are effective means with which to improve pain and function in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. However, the risk of complications after these procedures is poorly understood, with concerns regarding adjacent vertebral fractures. This study retrospectively investigated the clinical and radiological outcomes of these procedures.

Methods: A total of 115 patients who experienced their first vertebral fracture were treated with VP (N=63) or KP (N=52) at the Dankook University Hospital between January 2013 and December 2022. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) preoperative and at 1-year follow-up. Radiological comparisons were performed for kyphosis correction, vertebral height restoration, and postoperative cement leakage.

Results: KP was more effective than VP, especially for vertebral body height restoration and kyphotic angle reduction (P<0.05). However, the incidence of cement leakage, new adjacent vertebral fractures, and improvement in pain assessed by VAS did not differ statistically between the 2 groups (P>0.05).

Conclusions: Considering that KP was performed on fractures with severe deformity, no differences were observed in the clinical outcomes and incidence of adjacent vertebral fractures compared Considering that KP was performed for fractures with severe deformity, there was no difference in clinical outcomes and incidence of adjacent vertebral fractures compared to VP. Improvements in radiological measurements were demonstrated. Therefore, KP may be a good treatment option for pain relief and long-term prognosis in patients with high-compressive-rate vertebral fractures.