Silicone kyphoplasty (elastoplasty) versus traditional cement kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Does this new technique reduce the complications?

Introduction: Stiffness is increased in vertebrae after kyphoplasty with bone cement is performed, which cause an increase in subsequent fractures in adjacent levels. This has led to increased interest in alternative filling materials such as bioactive calcium phosphate ceramics or silicon-based polymers. This study's objective is to compare the results between kyphoplasty with bone cement and with the VK100 silicone.

Materials and methods: This is a comparative, prospective study involving 64 patients, 23 treated using VK100 and 41 with PMMA. Clinical, radiological and functional results (Oswestry) and quality of life and (EQ-5D) were analyzed and compared between both groups, focusing on differences in subsequent fractures in adjacent levels.

Results: There are no differences between the two treatments in terms of epidemiological factors (age and sex) or hospital management. A significant difference is observed in the gain of vertebral body height, with greater improvement in those treated with PMMA. There is also a higher fracture rate in the PMMA group, the difference is not significant. Finally, both treatments show similar outcomes in pain relief and quality of life.

Conclusion: Both VK100 Elastoplasty and PMMA Kyphoplasty are effective treatments for vertebral fractures. VK100 has a lower rate of complications and adjacent fractures. However, long-term results in terms of pain relief and quality of life are similar, making both treatments equally valid.