How osteoporotic spine fractures are treated

  Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are common in the elderly and can result in severe pain at the fracture site and the formation of kyphosis, loss of vertebral height due to vertebral collapse, and in most patients, instability of the spine, which limits activity and seriously affects the ability to care for oneself. The quality of life is significantly reduced due to pain and restricted activities.  1.Conservative treatment: It is a standard treatment method that has been recognized for many years. It includes: ①application of analgesic; ②bed rest; ③application of external fixation support; ④physiotherapy and rehabilitation training; ⑤local nerve block, etc.  2.Surgical treatment: There is no obvious effect for conservative treatment, and the quality of life is affected due to persistent pain, especially when the elderly take painkillers, which are prone to gastrointestinal reactions and complications. Long-term bed rest after fracture aggravates the loss of bone mass and new fractures occur. In addition, conservative treatment is difficult to prevent the occurrence of retroflexion deformity. Therefore, surgical treatment is an option.  Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive spinal surgery done under local anesthesia, and its wide application in recent years has prevented patients from undergoing larger spinal surgeries, reduced local pain, increased spinal stability, allowed early bedtime activities for elderly patients suffering from various medical diseases, facilitated rehabilitation training, and reduced complications brought about by long-term bed rest.