Case report: Treatment by radiofrequency kyphoplasty of an 85-year-old woman with a traumatic osteoporotic fracture of the first lumbar vertebra

Journal für Mineralstoffwechsel & Muskuloskelettale Erkrankungen 2011; 18 (Supplementum 1): 29-31

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A 85-year old female patient had an A1.2-fracture of the L1 after a fall on the lower back. The fracture was treated with radio frequency kyphoplasty on the following day. Without complications during the course, the patient could be dismissed free of pain on the second day post-op. After 3 month follow-up the patient was painless in the area of the lumbar spine and without functional restrictions. The X-ray examination showed neither changes in the location of L1 nor adjacent fractures. The indication was put by request of the patient divergent to the guidelines. The discussion about the benefits of treatment with balloon kyphoplasty versus medicinal pain treatment is still controversial. There are no studies on RF-Kyphoplasty and its advantages over the mentioned procedures. However, all cases being published so far including this case out of a series of positive cases lead to the assumption that RF-Kyphoplasty is at least equivalent to established procedures, if not better. However, further studies are required.