To investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) with different cement volume in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures ( OVCF).

From June 2015 to January 2017, 30 patients with thoracolumbar OVCF in the Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University were randomly selected from low dose group (less than 4 mL), conventional dose group (4-6 mL) and high dose group (more than 6 mL) according to the different cement volume injected during PVP. The operation time, cement volume, cement leakage, visual analogue scale (VAS) score and oswestry disability index (ODI) score before operation, 1 month after operation and 1 year after operation in the three groups were analyzed. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance, Bonferroni correction, and chi-square test.

All patients of 3 groups were treated by PVP successfully, without serious complications. (1)Operative time: low dose group: (22.30±2.71) minutes, routine dose group: (23.10±5.00) minutes, high dose group: (26.17±3.50) minutes, there was statistically significant difference among the three groups(F=8.382, P=0.000); the operation time of high dose group was significantly higher than that of low dose group and routine dose group, the differences are statistically significant (P=0.001, 0.008), but there was no significant difference between low dose group and routine dose group (P>0.05). (2)The cement volume used during PVP: low dose group: (3.37±0.41) mL, routine dose group: (5.17±0.50) mL, high dose group: (6.53±0.64) mL, there were statistical differences among the 3 groups (F=273.194, P=0.000). (3)Bone cement leakage: low dose group: 8 cases, routine dose group: 18 cases, high dose group: 21 cases. The incidence of bone cement leakage in routine dose group and high dose group was significantly higher than that in low dose group, the differences are statistically significant (χ²=6.787, 11.279, P=0.027, 0.003). There was no significant difference in the incidence of bone cement leakage between routine dose group and high dose group (χ²=0.659, P=1.251). (4)VAS scores: the preoperative VAS scores of the three groups were 8.70±1.21, 8.50 ±1.17 and 8.17±1.12 respectively; the VAS scores of 1 month after operation were 3.37 ±1.03, 3.83 ±1.23 and 3.47±1.11; the VAS scores of 1 year after operation were 0.93±0.87, 0.97±0.77 and 1.23±0.86. VAS score of 3 groups within 1 month and 1 year after PVP were significantly lower than those preoperatively, the differences are statistically significant(with P values below 0.05), but there were no significant differences among the three groups(with P values above 0.05). (5)ODI scores: the preoperative ODI scores of the three groups were 41.20±2.43, 40.83±2.20 and 39.93±2.08, respectively; the 1 month post-operative ODI scores were 23.07 ±2.70, 23.17±2.95 and 22.80 ±3.20; and the 1 year post-operative ODI scores were 11.33 ±1.83, 11.27±1.82 and 11.47±1.78. VAS score and ODI score of 3 groups within 1 month and 1 year after PVP were significantly lower than those preoperatively, the differences are statistically significant(with P values below 0.05), but there were no significant differences among the three groups(with P values above 0.05).

Low dose cement injected in PVP can achieve satisfied pain relief and functional recovery, and can significantly shorten the operation time and reduce the risk of cement leakage.