Recovery of the shape of vertebral bodies under transpedicular fixation in osteoporotic vertebral fractures

Abstract

The parameters of posttraumatic deformity correction in 27 patients aged from 61 to 76 (62.9 ± 1.4) years were analyzed using osteoplasty and transpedicular fixation for osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures of vertebral bodies. Indicators of posttraumatic deformity, the wedging index (WI) and segmental kyphosis (SK), decreased in all patients. At the same time, minimally invasive (transcutaneous) surgery made it possible to restore the lost anatomy without being inferior to the results of open intervention. In patients with compression fractures both the WI and SK decreased significantly; in patients with a burst nature of injury only WI became lower. In patients with the T-test > –3 SD both the deformation indicators decreased, and with a more pronounced decrease in mineral density (T-test < –3) only WI decreased significantly. The results indicate recovery of lost anatomy, but the degree of correction depends on the nature of the fracture and the amount of bone mass.