Analysis of risk factors of subsequent fractures after vertebroplasty

The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors related to the development of subsequent fractures after vertebroplasty. A retrospective study was conducted to review 175 patients with a 1-year follow-up who underwent vertebroplasty for first-time and single-level osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Subsequent fractures were diagnosed as recurrent intractable back pain, post-operatively correlated with MR image. Clinical parameters, such as age, gender, baseline VAS-score, lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) T-score, history of use of steroids, bisphosphonate therapy, symptom-free interval, the amount of bone cement injected, vacuum clefts, leakage of cement into the disk space, treated level and the changes of spinal geometry were recorded. During the follow-up period, subsequent fractures developed in 37 (21.1 %) of 175 patients. Significant differences (P