The findings came at a surprise to many spine surgeons, who perform more than 75,000 of these procedures per year in the United States, according to various sources.
As part of the multicenter trial, 131 patients with painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures received either vertebroplasty or a simulated procedure without cement. Patients then completed the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and rated the intensity of their average pain during the preceding 24 hours. According to the study, there was no significant difference between the vertebroplasty group and the control group in either the RDQ score of pain ratings at one month or at three months.
Read the NEJM article on vertebroplasty.
