Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a review of current surgical management techniques

Of the estimated 1.5 million osteoporosis-related fragility fractures that occur each year in the United States, vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common. It is estimated that approximately 20% to 25% of people who sustain a VCF have symptoms severe enough to seek medical attention. However, nonoperative outpatient management for VCFs is often successful in only 75% to 80% of cases. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of VCFs and of the surgical alternatives for VCF management, including indications for surgical intervention, overview of surgical techniques, clinical results, complications, and areas of future investigation.