Ultra-early injection of low-viscosity cement in vertebroplasty procedure for treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of ultra-early injection (before the phase of "tooth-paste-like") of low-viscosity cement in percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs).

METHODS: Two hundred sixty-one patients who had PVP procedures with low-viscosity cement (ultra-early injection: 145, normal injection: 135) were included from July 2010 to July 2016 in our hospital. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Cobb angle, cement leakage, and adjacent vertebral fractures were evaluated. The follow-up period was over 12 months.

RESULTS: VAS 3.0 d after surgery was significantly reduced in the ultra-early injection group compared to that in the control group (P = 0.00), but no difference was found at the final follow-up (P = 0.53). Similar results were found for ODI. The Cobb angle in both groups was recovered after PVP (P < 0.05); however, in the control group, the Cobb angle at the final follow-up was significantly increased compared with that 3.0 d after surgery (P = 0.00). There was a significant difference in the Cobb angle between the two groups at the final follow-up (P = 0.00). Regarding cement leakage, there were no significant differences in terms of mild (P = 0.58), moderate (P = 0.68), or severe leakage (P = 0.52). Seven patients in the control group had adjacent vertebral fractures, but only one patient in the ultra-early injection group experienced adjacent fractures (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Ultra-early injection of low-viscosity cement during PVP procedures in the treatment of OVCFs not only quickly and significantly relieves pain, reduces the incidence of adjacent vertebral fractures, and prevents progressive kyphotic deformity, but also does not increase the risk of cement leakage when compared with that of the traditional injection procedure.