Efficacy of Postural Reduction of Vertebral Compression Fracture with Extension Lateral Radiograph Before Vertebroplasty

Objective This retrospective comparative study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of postural reduction of vertebral compression fracture (VCF) using the hyperextension posture before vertebroplasty (VP). Methods Sixty-five consecutive patients who underwent VP were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty patients who underwent passive expansion of compression fracture before VP (postural reduction vertebroplasty [PRV] group) were compared with 35 patients who underwent in situ vertebroplasty (ISV group). Patient characteristics, complications, local kyphosis angle (LKA), Cobb angle, sagittal index (SI), anterior body height (ABH), and posterior body height were assessed. Results LKA and SI significantly improved from preoperative measurements at the final follow-up in the ISV and PRV groups. ABH significantly improved only in the PRV group and ABH improvement at the final follow-up was significantly greater in the PRV group. However, there were no significant differences in LKA, Cobb angle, SI, ABH, and posterior body height at the final follow-up. Within the subgroup analysis of patients with preoperative ABH ≤15 mm, ABH and amount of ABH improvement at final follow-up were significantly greater in the PRV group. Conclusions Hyperextension postural reduction showed superior ABH improvement. It also showed higher ABH at the final follow-up when performed on patients with preoperative ABH ≤15 mm. Although routine hyperextension postural reduction should be carefully approached, postural reduction using supine extension lateral radiography would provide more effective vertebral body height restoration in patients with moderate collapse of vertebral compression fracture with ABH ≤15 mm.