Vertebroplasty, the injection of polymethylmethacrylate (“super-glue”) into the fractured vertebrae has been used to relieve pain and dysmobility in patients suffering spine fractures.  Use of this procedure decreased after a pair of studies in 2009 declared that it was no better than a placebo injection.  Questions remained after these studies including how many people with acute vertebral fracture improved clinically after vertebroplasty.

A group of Australian researchers conducted another randomized control trial of 120 patients who suffered T11 through L2 (lower thoracic and upper lumbar) fractures of less than 6 weeks duration.  This study also included a group of patients injected with a placebo injection of lidocaine.

The group receiving the vertebroplasty showed a significantly improved disability score and less pain at 1, 3 and 6 months.  The researchers found that vertebroplasty was beneficial only when the fracture was less than 3 weeks old and the fracture was between vertebrae T11 through L2.

This study finally answers the question about this procedure and its use for people suffering painful and troubling vertebral fractures.

Article: Brett, Clark et al.  Lancet 2016 Aug 17.

–James Bowers MD FACP