Improvement in respiratory function after vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Pulmonology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) can impair respiratory function.
• Reduced thoracic mobility and increased kyphosis are common in OVCF patients.
• Pulmonary function deficits can negatively impact quality of life and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty on respiratory function in older women with OVCFs.
• To compare the efficacy of vertebroplasty versus kyphoplasty in improving pulmonary parameters.
• To investigate the correlation between spinal alignment changes and respiratory improvements.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 38 older women with OVCFs underwent either vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty.
• Measurements included thoracic kyphotic angle, local kyphotic angle, pain scores, and pulmonary function tests (vital capacity, forced vital capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation).
• Data were collected pre-operatively, three days post-operatively, and three months post-operatively.

Main Results:

• Vital capacity, forced vital capacity, and maximum voluntary ventilation significantly increased three days after surgery (P < 0.01).
• Maximum voluntary ventilation continued to improve at three months (P < 0.01).
• Kyphoplasty demonstrated a superior improvement in vital capacity compared to vertebroplasty (P < 0.01), particularly for thoracic OVCFs.

Conclusions:

• Both vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty effectively improve impaired lung function in patients with OVCFs.
• Kyphoplasty offers a more significant benefit for vital capacity improvement in thoracic OVCFs.
• Restoration of spinal alignment correlates positively with enhanced respiratory function.