Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Improves Pain Control and Quality of Life in Patients Suffering from Back Pain: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of pain control at a single center in a population of patients with osteoporotic fractures or vertebral metastasis after vertebroplasty (VP). Patients and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 163 patients who underwent VP at our institution between January 2008 and March 2016. Pain was measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS). The impact of pain on the quality of life (QoL) of the patients was estimated using the modified Roland–Morris questionnaire (RMQ). The VAS and RMQ values were calculated before the VP procedure and at one month and 6 months after the treatment. Results: VAS and RMQ mean scores were 7.8, 3.9 and 3.5, and 20.7, 11.5 and 9.6 before the procedure and at the 1 month and 6 months follow-up, respectively, which showed significant improvement (P < 0.0001). A significant correlation was noticed between the VAS scores and the RMQ values at the base line (P = 0.008; r = 0.21). Conclusion: This retrospective study assessed the efficacy of VP treatment for vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis or tumor infiltration and showed significant pain relief and improved QoL.