| |
Long-Term Data For 884 Patients Show Vertebroplasty For
Osteoporotic Spinal Fractures Provides Dramatic Pain Relief, Greatly Decreases
Disability
Link
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/100994.php?nfid=52334
Article Date: 19 Mar 2008 - 0:00 PDT
The results of a five-year follow-up study of 884
osteoporosis patients bolster the use of vertebroplasty -- an interventional
radiology treatment for vertebral compression fractures -- finding that the
procedure provides dramatic pain relief and sustained benefit, announced
researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 33rd Annual Scientific
Meeting. Vertebroplasty, the injection of medical-grade bone cement into a
fractured vertebra, shores up the fracture similar to an internal cast and
provides pain relief. It is indicated for painful vertebral compression
fractures that fail to respond to conventional medical therapy, such as minimal
or no pain relief with analgesics or narcotic doses that are intolerable. The
average pre-treatment pain score on the 11-point Visual Analog Scale was 7.9 +/-
1.5, and it dropped significantly to an average of 1.3 +/- 1.8 after the
vertebroplasty treatment.
One's ability to manage everyday life -- such as washing, dressing or
standing--was measured by the commonly used Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ),
which was completed by patients before -- and again one month after--vertebroplasty.
The ODQ scores changed from an average of 69.3 percent +/- 13.5 to 18.8 percent
+/- 6.9, showing a highly significant improvement in mobility.
"These data provide good news for physicians and osteoporosis patients. Many
osteoporosis patients with compression fractures are in terrible pain and have a
greatly diminished ability to perform basic daily activities, such as dressing
themselves," said Giovanni C. Anselmetti, M.D., interventional radiologist at
the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment in Turin, Italy.
Vertebroplasty can greatly improve one's quality of life; however, the treatment
is generally reserved for patients who have failed conventional medical
management.
"Osteoporosis patients who have persistent spinal pain lasting more than three
months should consult an interventional radiologist, and those who require
constant narcotic pain relief should seek help immediately," noted Anselmetti.
The treatment was completed in all patients without major complications and with
good clinical results. The data add to the body of evidence in the United States
for the minimally invasive treatment's safety, effectiveness and
low-complication rate. The treatment is widely available in the United States at
all major institutions and many smaller institutions and is generally covered by
health insurance.
The study also showed that vertebroplasty does not increase the risk of fracture
in nearby vertebra. "Vertebroplasty is already known to be a safe and effective
treatment for osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Osteoporosis patients remain
susceptible to new fractures, which often occur in the contiguous vertebra to an
existing fracture. Our large-scale study shows that vertebroplasty does not
increase the risk of fracture in the level contiguous to previously treated
vertebra and that these new fractures occur at the same rate as they would in
osteoporosis patients who did not have vertebroplasty," added Anselmetti.
Abstract 182, "Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in the Osteoporotic Patients: Five
Years Prospective Follow-up in 884 Consecutive Patients," can be found at
http://www.SIRmeeting.org.
About Vertebroplasty
Vertebroplasty was first performed in France in 1984 to treat compression
fractures caused by bone cancer or bone metastasis and later to treat
compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. Percutaneous vertebroplasty was
introduced in the United States in 1994 and has become widely available since
1997 as a treatment for pain associated with compression fractures due to
osteoporosis. The procedure has been shown to provide continued pain relief for
osteoporotic compression fractures.
Vertebroplasty is indicated for painful vertebral compression fractures that
fail to respond to conventional medical therapy, such as minimal or no pain
relief with analgesics or narcotic doses that are intolerable. Vertebroplasty is
an outpatient procedure performed under X-ray-imaging guidance and conscious
sedation. The interventional radiologist inserts a needle through a nick in the
skin in the back, directing it under fluoroscopy (continuous, moving X-ray
imaging) into the fractured vertebra. The physician then injects the
medical-grade bone cement into the vertebra. The cement hardens within about 15
minutes and stabilizes the fracture.
About Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of
the bone, resulting in an increased susceptibility to fractures. A major public
health issue, osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans and is responsible for
1.5 million vertebral fractures each year, according to National Institutes of
Health estimates. Multiple vertebral fractures can result in chronic pain and
disability, loss of independence, stooped posture and compression of the lungs
and stomach. Nearly all vertebral fractures in otherwise healthy people are due
to osteoporosis and can occur from a minor impact, such as a bump or a fall, in
those who suffer from this bone-weakening disease.
About the Society of Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive,
targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least
invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience
across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a
catheter in the body, usually in an artery, to treat at the source of the
disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered
stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease,
interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine.
Today many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively
by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less
risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit
http://www.SIRweb.org.
Society of Interventional Radiology
http://www.sirweb.org
|
|
