Vertebral Augmentation for Osteoporotic Compression Fractures

Surgical techniques and clinical evidence of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral fractures

Osteoporotic vertebral fracture is a disease condition with high morbidity and mortality, whose prevalence rises with mean increase in the life span. Conventional treatments for an osteoporotic vertebral fracture include bed rest, pain medication and brace implementation, but if the patient's pain is severe, cement augmentation procedures, including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, are performed. Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are relatively easy procedures that have been reported to be effective in controlling acute pain. But, the risk of complication and additional adjacent segment fracture and their superiority over conventional treatment remain debatable. Therefore, the authors have summarized the procedures, complications, and clinical evidence of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty in this review.