Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) assisted by a curved bone cement delivery guide for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) in the elderly. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 96 elderly patients with OVCFs who underwent PVP. Patients were divided into three groups based on the surgical approach: the Curved Guide group (n=34), the Unilateral group (n=30), and the Bilateral group (n=32). Baseline characteristics were compared among the three groups. Surgical parameters assessed included operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and fluoroscopy frequency. Bone cement-related outcomes encompassed injection volume, distribution pattern, and leakage rate. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using VAS and ODI scores. Radiographic outcomes included vertebral height restoration and kyphotic angle correction. RESULTS: Baseline data were comparable among the three groups (P > 0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and fluoroscopy frequency in the Curved group were significantly lower than those in the Bilateral group (P < 0.001) and comparable to those in the Unilateral group (P > 0.05). The excellent and good rate of bone cement distribution, vertebral height restoration rate, and Cobb angle correction rate in the Curved group were significantly higher than those in the Unilateral group (P < 0.001) and did not differ significantly from those in the Bilateral group (P > 0.05). Postoperative improvements in VAS and ODI cores were significantly greater in the Curved group than in the Unilateral group (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications was comparable among the three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Curved guide-assisted PVP combines the benefits of a minimally invasive unilateral puncture with effective fracture reduction and optimal bone cement distribution. This technique achieves definitive clinical efficacy in elderly patients with OVCFs and merits broader clinical application.