Background: Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is the most common complication of osteoporosis. It results in significant mortality and morbidity. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a procedure that injects percutaneously bone cement into a collapsed vertebra.

Objective: To determine the results of PVP in pain reduction from osteoporosis VCF and its complications.

Material and Method: Thirty-five patients (34 women, 1 man, 48-98 years) with persistent back pain due to VCF underwent 66 percutaneous injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) into the vertebrae (27 thoracic levels, 39 lumbar levels) under fluoroscopic guidance between December 2003 and July 2005. Severity of back pain was assessed by using visual analog scale (VAS) before and after the operation.

Results: Thirty-two patients (91%) reported significant pain relief, the mean VAS of 35 patients, before PVP and after an 8-week period, post-operatively, were 6.9±1.8 and 2.0±1.8 (p = 0.001). There was only one minor complication. Two patients experienced intermittent sciatic shooting pain. This improved and disappeared within three months.

Conclusion: PVP is a minimally invasive procedure providing safe, immediate, and sustained pain reduction in patients with refractory pain and disability caused by painful VCF.

Keywords: Vertebral compression fracture, Percutaneous vertebroplasty