BACKGROUND: Clinically, percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is frequently applied to treat osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). It is believed that new compression fractures are more likely to occur adjacent to the PVP-treated segment, typically within 1 month after PVP. The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors for adjacent vertebral compression fractures (AVCF) after PVP in patients with OVCF after menopause.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between Jun 2012 and Dec 2016, 412 patients were initially identified. We enrolled 390 patients in this study, and 22 were lost to follow-up. The medical records of the patients were retrospectively collected. Patients were followed up for at least 6 months, with an average follow-up period of 18 months. The potential risk factors investigated in this study included age, duration of menopause (DoM), preoperative vertebral compression, number of preoperative vertebral fractures (NPVF), bone mineral density (BMD), surgical approach (unilateral or bilateral), anesthesia methods, bone cement dose, complications (including COPD), and anti-osteoporosis treatment. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors.

RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were observed to have suffered from AVCF after PVP at the last follow-up. Univariate analysis showed that age, DoM, NPVF, BMD, COPD, and anti-osteoporosis treatment were the potential variables associated with the onset of AVCF (all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the logistic regression equation was as follows: logit P=–3.10–1.07×X2+0.99×X3+2.15×X4 (where X2=BMD; X3=DoM; X4=NPVF), and “logit P” stands for the likelihood of developing an AVCF following PVP.

CONCLUSIONS: A long duration of menopause and preoperative multi-level vertebral fractures were the risk factors for AVCF in patients following PVP after menopause, while a high-level BMD acted in a protective role for AVCF development.

Keywords: Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal, Osteoporotic Fractures, Risk Factors, Spinal Fractures, vertebroplasty