[Guiding significance of lumbar quantitative computed tomography in percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures].

Objective: To investigate the guiding significance of lumbar quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in percutaneous vertebroplasty (PKP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF).

Methods: The clinical data of 90 patients with OVCF underwent PKP from December 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 24 femalesand66males, withanaverage agedof (74.47±6.60) yearsold. Allpatientswere received QCT examination before surgery, andaccording to the QCT value oflumbarspine, the patientswere dividedinto osteopenia decrease group (80 to 120 g/L, 17 cases, 30 vertebrae), osteoporosis group (40 to 80 g/L, 44 cases, 66 vertebrae) and severe osteoporosis group (<40 g/L, 29 cases, 39 vertebrae). Bone cement was injected into vertebral body, AP and lateral X-rays were done during operation. The diffusion and leakage of bone cement in injured vertebrae of patients with different QCT values were observed. Unilateral approach was used for patients whose bone cement diffused beyond the midline of the vertebral body, otherwise, and bilateral approach was adopted, and guiding significance of QCT in PKP for OVCF was analyzed.

Results: In 90 cases of 135 vertebrae, 72 cases of 98 vertebral bone cement diffused beyond the midline, accounting for 72.59%. Unilateral approach was used for the 72 patients whose bone cement diffused beyond the midline of the vertebral body, among them, there were 5 cases with 8 vertebrae in osteopenia group, 40 cases with 55 vertebrae in osteoporosis group and 27 cases with 35 vertebrae in severe osteoporosis group. There was significant difference in the bone cement dispersion between three groups (=41.397, =0.000). Moreover, no bone cement leakage occurred in osteopenia group, 3 cases of 4 vertebrae occurred in osteoporosis group and 2 cases of 3 vertebrae in severe osteoporosis group. However, none of the patients with bone cement leakage caused nerve injury and other symptoms, and there was no significant difference in bone cement leakage between the three groups (=2.242, =0.326).

Conclusion: According to the QCT examination of lumbar spine, defining the degree of osteoporosis and guiding the puncture method can shorten the operation time, reduce the number of fluoroscopy, and effectively improve the safety of vertebroplasty.