Unilateral and Bilateral Percutaneous Kyphoplasty for Thoracolumbar Osteoporotic Compression Fractures

To compare the efficacies of unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures.

Experimental study.

Department of Orthopedics, Hubei 672 Orthopedics Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, China, from November 2014 to January 2017.

One hundred and seventy-eight patients with single-level thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures included in this study. These patients were randomly assigned to unilateral (n=83) and bilateral (n=95) PKP groups. The operation time, bone cement volume, number of X-ray views, preoperative and postoperative pain visual analogue scale scores (VAS), Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI), Cobb angle, and vertebral height in both groups were recorded.

Operation time, bone cement volume and intraoperative number of X-ray views were significantly different between unilateral and bilateral PKP groups (29.8 ±2.7 vs. 31.5 ±3.9 minutes; 9.3 ±2.6 vs. 11.2 ±3.7 times; 3.1 ±0.7 vs. 3.5 ±1.2 ml, respectively, p <0.05). VAS scores and ODI in both groups were significantly different before and 24 hours, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. The heights of anterior and middle borders of vertebral body and Cobb angle in the two groups were significantly different before and after surgery (p <0.05).

The short-term efficacy was identical between unilateral and bilateral PKP. The unilateral PKP is characterized by short operation time, low hospital cost, less number of X-ray views and less bone cement volume. The unilateral PKP shows a higher risk of re-fracture of adjacent vertebral body compared with the bilateral PKP.