Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in Octogenarians: Results and Follow-Up

Objectives: To determine pain relief, performance status, morbidity, and mortality associated with percutaneous vertebroplasty for spinal pain in patients aged 80 years and older. Design: Prospective, descriptive, third‐party independent interview, clinical audit. Setting: University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. Participants: Patients aged 80 years and older who underwent vertebroplasty between August 1997 and August 2004 because of vertebral fractures from osteoporotic or malignant etiologies. Methods: Primary outcome measures were verbal rating scale (VRS) (0—no pain, 5—intolerable) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status scale (0—normal activity, 4—unable to get out of bed) before and after procedure. Patients were interviewed 8 to 35 months post treatment (mean 25), independently assessed for pain relief, analgesic consumption, and overall satisfaction by using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Outcome Measures questionnaire. Results: Mean VRS scores significantly decreased from 4.86 ± 0.64 to 2.39 ± 1.14 (P