1. What are the characteristics of osteoporotic fractures of the thoracolumbar spine? In today’s aging population, osteoporosis is increasingly becoming a prominent problem affecting human health and quality of life. Due to the decrease in bone mass, the mechanical strength of bone also decreases. Therefore, fractures can occur in elderly people with little attention in daily life. Statistics show that the incidence of fractures caused by osteoporosis is increasing year by year. The main fractures associated with osteoporosis are: distal radius fracture, femoral neck fracture and spine fracture. When a spinal fracture occurs, especially a fracture of the thoracolumbar vertebra, getting up and moving upright will increase the compressive stress on the spine, which may cause displacement and non-union of the fracture, so the basic treatment for this type of fracture is bed rest. Absolute bed rest is usually required for about 2-3 months. In old age, the functions of the vital organs of the body deteriorate to varying degrees, so it is important to maintain a certain degree of mobility. The main complications of long-term bed rest in elderly patients are: pneumonic pneumonia, urinary tract infection and bed sores. The occurrence of any of these complications can be serious or even fatal. Therefore, how to reduce the patient’s pain and shorten the time of bed-ridden rehabilitation becomes an important topic in the treatment of osteoporotic fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. 2.What is vertebroplasty? Vertebroplasty is a procedure in which a puncture needle is inserted into the fractured vertebral body from the posterior side of the fractured vertebral body through the skin and pedicle under X-ray fluoroscopy or CT positioning, and after confirming the correct position, a small amount of bone cement is prepared and injected into the fractured vertebral body. The operation is completed when the bone cement has hardened and polymerized. The operation is usually performed under local anesthesia. Vertebroplasty was first attempted in 1983 by Dr. Carlibert, a French physician, to treat aggressive hemangiomas of the spine, with good results. Over the years, vertebroplasty has been refined and its clinical applications have expanded. We began to apply vertebroplasty to the treatment of osteoporotic fractures of the thoracolumbar spine three years ago, and have already had experience with dozens of patients. 3. What are the advantages of vertebroplasty for thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures? First, after vertebroplasty, the mechanical strength of the fractured vertebral body is greatly increased and, consequently, the compressive stress resistance of the vertebral body is restored. As a result, the patient can get up and move around the day after surgery. The patient’s physical function and mental state can be quickly restored, and the possibility of complications due to bed rest is greatly reduced. Secondly, vertebroplasty has good pain relief for osteoporotic fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. In general, the patient’s pain is significantly improved in the immediate postoperative period. Finally, vertebroplasty is less invasive and less painful for the patient. It is usually performed under local anesthesia and leaves only a needle hole in the skin after surgery. The patient can recover in a short time. 4.Which thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures are suitable for vertebroplasty? First, vertebroplasty is suitable for fresh fractures. It is not clear how effective it is for patients with fractures that are 1 month old. Second, there is an endogenous cause of the fracture with the presence of osteoporosis. For example, age is over 50 years and bone density is significantly reduced. Usually only a history of minor trauma is present. As for younger patients, fractures due to high-energy injuries (such as high falls, car accidents, etc.) are not suitable for vertebroplasty. Third, in terms of the type of fracture, vertebroplasty is primarily indicated for flexion compression fractures of the vertebral body. The degree of compression <70%, burst fractures of the vertebral body, etc. are not applicable to vertebroplasty. 5.In addition to thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures, in what other cases is vertebroplasty indicated? Invasive hemangioma of the vertebral body and osteolytic metastatic tumor of the vertebral body can also be considered for treatment by vertebroplasty.