Journal Article

A Randomized Trial of Vertebroplasty for Painful Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures

Murphy, Bridie, Graves, Stephen, Wark, John D, Osborne, Richard H, Ebeling, Peter R, Wriedt, Chris, Buchbinder, Rachelle, Mitchell, Peter, Staples, Margaret P

2009

Overview

In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with one or two painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures, vertebroplasty did not result in greater improvement than a sham procedure in overall pain, physical functioning, or quality of life at 3 or 6 months after treatment. In patients with one or two painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures, vertebroplasty did not result in greater improvement than a sham procedure in overall pain, physical functioning, or quality of life at 3 or 6 months after treatment. Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are a common cause of pain and disability and are associated with increased mortality. 1 Approximately 750,000 new vertebral fractures occur in the United States each year, 2 and among people who are older than 50 years of age, up to a quarter of them will have at least one vertebral fracture in their lifetime 3 Although most fractures heal within a few months, some people have pain and disability that fail to respond to conservative therapy, and some require hospitalization, long-term care, or both. 4 Therefore, interventions that effectively manage pain and shorten recovery time would be of great benefit. . . .

• Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
• Subject: Activities of Daily Living / Aged / Back Pain - etiology / Back Pain - therapy / Biological and medical sciences / Bone Cements / Diseases of the osteoarticular system / Diseases of the osteoarticular system. Orthopedic treatment / Double-Blind Method / Female / Fractures / General aspects / Humans / Injections, Spinal / Male / Medical sciences / Older people / Osteoporosis - complications / Osteoporosis. Osteomalacia. Paget disease / Pain / Pain Measurement / Placebo Effect / Polymethacrylic Acids / Quality of Life / Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects) / Spinal Fractures - etiology / Spinal Fractures - therapy / Treatment Failure / Vertebrae / Vertebroplasty - methods