Efficacy of bone cement volume in unilateral kyphoplasty of thoracolumbar compression fractures: A clinical comparative study.

Objective: To compare the clinical and radiological e!cacy of bone cement volumes injected during unilateral percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty for thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed data from 96 patients who underwent single-level unilateral kyphoplasty. The patients were categorized into 2 groups based on the cement volume injected: group 1 (cement volume "4 mL, minimum 3 mL; n=48) and group 2 (cement volume >4 mL, maximum 6 mL; n=48). The clinical outcomes, as assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, were evaluated preoperatively and then at the final follow-up 1 month postoperatively. The vertebral corpus height at the fracture level was measured at the anterior, middle, and posterior regions through sagittal computed tomography scanning.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 64.2 years in group 1 and 63.8 years in group 2. In group 1, the mean anterior vertebral height increased from 19.0 ± 3.3 mm preoperatively to 19.9 ± 3.2 mm postoperatively, whereas in group 2, it increased from 17.9 ± 3.8 mm to 19.6 ± 3.7 mm, respectively. The middle vertebral heights were 15.4 ± 2.5 mm preoperatively and 16.9 ± 2.8 mm postoperatively in group 1 and 16.0 ± 3.6 mm and 17.5 ± 3.2 mm, respectively, in group 2. Both groups exhibited significant improvements in ODI and VAS scores, with no significant di#erence between the groups. A statistically significant increase was recorded within each group for the anterior, middle, and posterior vertebral heights. However, a significantly greater increase was noted in the anterior height in group 2 compared to that in group 1 (P < .05).

Conclusion: Unilateral kyphoplasty is an e#ective procedure for managing painful vertebral compression fractures. The greatest loss of vertebral height occurred in the middle column, which also exhibited the greatest potential for restoration. Thus, a higher cement volume facilitated greater restoration of the anterior column height.

Level of evidence: Level III, Therapeutic Study.