Australian researchers studied whether vertebroplasty is a safe and effective procedure for relieving acute pain and disability in patients with spinal fractures.
The study involved 120 patients with spinal fractures, 61 of which received vertebroplasty and 59 of which underwent a placebo procedure. All patients reported severe pain of seven or higher on the numeric rating scale of 10.
The Lancet published the study.
Here are five observations:
1. Of the vertebroplasty patients, 23 percent reported scores of lower than four on the numeric rating scale after 14 days of treatment.
2. Of the placebo patients, 53 percent reported moderate or severe scores on the numeric rating scale six months after the procedure.
3. The vertebroplasty patients all experienced lower pain scores at every follow-up time interval.
4. The researchers also found patients receiving vertebroplasty had shortened hospital stays, decreased by 5.5 days.
5. The study found vertebroplasty does not contribute to future fractures.
"These findings are important because, for the first time, vertebroplasty has been demonstrated to reduce pain more effectively than a sham intervention," says Joshua Hirsch, MD, a Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery past president and author of the companion expert commentary in The Lancet.