Purpose
The number of patients with re-fracture after vertebral augmentation has gradually increased. Usually, these patients are re-treated with vertebral augmentation, but less attention has been paid to the safety and prognosis of repeated and multi-level treatment with percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP). This study aims to retrospectively analyze the safety and prognosis of repeated PVP in the treatment of patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs), and to further analyze the factors affecting their prognosis.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of 61 patients with re-fractures after vertebral augmentation who received PVP treatment again from January 2019 to December 2021. The patients were divided into pain group and pain-free group according to their back pain status at last follow-up. The following covariates were reviewed: Age, bone mineral density(BMD), bone cement dosage, bone cement leakage, body mass index (BMI); and the rate of anterior vertebral height(AVH) loss in the target before surgery, 1 week after surgery and at last follow-up. The patients were assessed using Visual analogue scale score (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).
Results
A total of 61 patients were included, 17 in the pain group and 44 in the pain-free group. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed the rate of AVH loss at 1 week postoperatively and last follow-up was associated with postoperative back pain. According to the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curvature(AUC) of the AVH loss rate at 1 week after operation was 0.6845, and the cut-off value was 0.18; the AUC of the AVH loss rate at the last follow-up was 0.7306, and the cut-off value was 0.2815. Further Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with lower AVH loss rates had lower incidence of postoperative back pain and better prognosis.
Conclusion
PVP is safe and effective in the short term for patients with re-fracture after vertebral augmentation. Postoperative back pain was strongly associated with AVH loss at 1 week postoperatively and at last follow-up. Patients with a lower rate of AVH loss had a lower incidence of postoperative back pain and a better prognosis.