New symptomatic vertebral compression fractures within a year following vertebroplasty in osteoporotic women.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Percutaneous vertebroplasty has been performed in the United States in an increasing volume since the mid-1990s. The purpose of this study is to analyze the risk of a new symptomatic vertebral compression fractures within 1 year of having an acute/subacute fracture treated with vertebroplasty. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed in which 253 female patients were found to have acute/subacute vertebral compression fractures secondary to osteoporosis treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty. Occurrences of new symptomatic vertebral compression fractures were recorded for a year following initial vertebroplasty. RESULTS Fifty-five patients (21.7%) of the 253 osteoporotic women with one or more initial fractures experienced a new symptomatic vertebral compression fracture within 1 year. CONCLUSION Roughly one-fifth of osteoporotic women with acute/subacute fracture treated with vertebroplasty will have a subsequent fracture within 1 year.