Background Percutaneous vertebroplasty （PVP） has become a popular procedure for painful vertebral osteoporotic fracture （VOF）, with immediate pain relief and improved mobility; however, polymethylmethacrylate （PMMA） injected into the vertebral body is not absorbable and little information is available concerning the long-term results. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the long-term clinical results and radiological changes after PVPs for VOFs. Methods Fifty-one patients with VOFs were treated by PVPs with PMMA between 2000 and 2004. After 〉7 years of follow-up, eight patients had died from causes unrelated to the intervention and 12 patients were lost to follow-up, thus leaving 31 patients available for evaluation with an average length of follow-up of 9.2 years （follow-up rate, 72.1%）. Among these 31 patients, the PMMA was injected at 43 levels with a mean volume of 4.3 ml per level （range, 2-6 ml）. The pain was assessed with a visual analog scale （VAS）, and the mobility was graded as walking without difficulty （grade 1）, walking with assistance （grade 2）, and bedridden （grade 3）. Plain radiographs and computed tomography （CT） were obtained and assessed pre-operatively, immediately post-operatively, and after 7 years of follow-up. The PMMA, vertebral height, and Cobb angle were assessed and compared. Results All of the patients experienced pain relief and improved mobility after intervention and during the follow-up period. Cement leakage was detected in post-operative CT scans in 9 of 51 patients, but without neurological compromise. For the 31 patients followed up over 7 years, the VAS decreased from 8.3±2.6 pre-operatively, to 2.1±1.6 immediately post-operatively, and 1.0±0.9 at the final follow-up evaluation, with significantly improved mobility. Additional compression fractures occurred at adjacent levels in three patients, and there were no new fractures at the augmented vertebrae. Based on a review of the radiographs, neither loose nor displaced cement
XU Bao-shanHU Yong-chengYANG QiangXIA QunMA Xin-longJI Ning
