Patient Experience Following Kyphoplasty: Safety, Efficacy, and Patient Satisfaction

Aims: Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive treatment used to reduce pain, restore vertebral height and improve mobility in patients with painful spinal VCF. Pain from vertebral compression fractures (VCF) comprises an important health issue with significant social and economic impact, particularly in elderly patients with osteoporosis where treatment options are limited. We assessed outcomes in patients with VCF who failed conservative management and underwent kyphoplasty.

Study Design: Prospective and retrospective case series.

Place and Duration of Study: At a single neurosurgical practice February 2003 and September 2012.

Methodology: A total of 203 patients with 288 treated vertebral body fractures treated with kyphoplasty were enrolled. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to prospectively measure back pain before and after surgery. Pre and post operative disability and quality of life were retrospectively measured with the Roland Morris Disability Index (RMDI) and EuroQol 5-Domain scale (EQ5D), respectively, via patient survey. Pre and post-operative narcotic analgesic usage and incidence of subsequent fractures were recorded.

Results: There was a statistically significant improvement (P < .001) in each of the assessed measures following surgery. The post-operative rate of narcotic use was reduced from 63% to 17%. Eight patients (4.2%) developed and underwent repair of an adjacent fracture with a mean time between surgeries of 461 days.

Conclusion: Following kyphoplasty, patients experienced significant, rapid, and sustained reduction of back pain, improved quality of life, and reduced disability with a low complication rate. Timely repair of VCF is indicated, not only to prevent complications associated with prolonged inactivity but also for effective treatment of severe pain in the acute setting.