Abstract
OBJECTIVE: with increasing life expectancy around the world, fractures due to osteoporosis have become more common and the expenditure for treating them has also increased. The aim here was to evaluate the improvement in pain and quality of life among patients with compressive osteoporotic vertebral fractures undergoing vertebroplasty. METHODS: eighteen patients with 27 fractured vertebrae underwent vertebroplasty and were evaluated using the Oswestry 2.0 limitations questionnaire before the operation and 24 h and six months after the operation. RESULTS: there was a 75% improvement in pain and quality of life, going from a mean preoperative Oswestry of 40% to 10% 24 h after the operation and 9% six months after the operation (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: vertebroplasty is effective in managing compressive osteoporotic vertebral fractures, with improvement in pain and quality of life in the immediate postoperative period and over the medium term.