The study was to present the results of the surgical treatment using the spinal instrumentation toe resolve the osteoporotic vertebral
compression fracture in the elderly patients having the clinical symptoms of
pain and the neurological compromise. Sixty elderly patients who underwent the surgical treatment of the osteoporotic vertebral
compression fracture were retrospectively reviewed. Their average age was 72 years; the range was 60-90. The average follow-up period for these patients was 4.2 years; the range was 3-7. Twenty-four patients were performed by the posterior stabilization enhanced by the
pedicle screws and rods with the transpedicular
bone grafting. Thirty-two patients were performed by the anterior corpectomy with the interbody fusion and the anterior spinal instrumentation. Four patients were performed by two-step surgical treatment: firstly the posterior stabilization enhanced by
pedicle screws and rods, and finally, the anterior corpectomy with the interbody fusion. The sagittal Cobb angle and the
back pain were improved in all patients. The neurological deficits were improved in 14 patients out of the 16 patients. Twelve patients had the post operative complications: late implants loosening in 5 patients, subcutaneous
wound infections in 4 patients, painful
neuromas at thoracic cage in 2 patients and
incisional hernia in one patient. Although the surgical treatment with spinal implants in the osteoporotic
compression fracture was performed in the selected patients, the complication rate was still high, i.e. twenty percent. All of them, nevertheless, were not the mortal complications. The anterior column support could maintain the sagittal alignment better than the posterior
spinal fusion alone in the long-term follow up period while the VAS of
pain was improved in the similar results.