Treating osteoporotic compression fracture: From conservative treatment to BKP

Abstract

Osteoporotic compression fracture patients often cite lumbago as their main complaint. These patients typically develop shortened vertebral bodies, which can be relieved naturally. If there is difficulty with body movement or the patient is hospitalized, relief for the compression lumbar fracture is often afforded by NSAIDs and wearing a corset. However, when such conservative treatment fails or when protracted sharp pain or other neurologic symptoms develop, surgical treatment is necessary. For prolonged low back pain, the vertebral body formation can be augmented using artificial bone or bone cement via a low invasive surgical procedure. BKP（Balloon Kyphoplasty）, which became an insurance covered procedure in Japan in 2011, is one of the useful methods employed in the art of vertebral body formation recently. Since the severity of osteoporotic compression fractures can change at any moment, it is necessary to treat them while carefully weighing the pros and cons of each therapeutic method according to each patient’s needs.