Authors' objectives:

Are percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty safe and effective methods of treating severe back pain caused by osteoporotic vertebral compression when conventional, nonsurgical options do not provide adequate pain relief?
What do the treatments cost? Are they cost-effective?

Authors' recommendations: The scientific evidence is insufficient to determine if percutaneous vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty yield better outcomes than nonsurgical strategies or placebo1 in treating symptomatic vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis.Cement leakage is common with both methods. Although it usually causes no symptoms, the clinical significance of such leakage is not fully investigated.The scientific evidence is insufficient to determine the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty.Randomised and blinded trials should be conducted, but such trials are associated with substantial methodological problems. Long-term evaluation of the methods' effects and risks would require systematic follow-up, e.g. via a national quality registry.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2011

URL for published report: http://www.sbu.se/sv/Publicerat/Alert/Perkutan-vertebroplastik-och-ballongkyfoplastik-vid-ryggsmarta-pga-kotkompression-som-orsakats-av-osteoporos/

URL for additional information: http://www.sbu.se/en/Published/Alert/Kyphoplasty-and-Vertebroplasty-for-Back-Pain-Caused-by-Vertebral-Compression/

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Sweden

Organisation Name: Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services

Contact Address: P.O. Box 3657, SE-103 59 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 4123200, Fax: +46 8 4113260

Contact Name: registrator@sbu.se

Contact Email: registrator@sbu.se

Copyright: Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU)