Article
The course of pain immediately before and after vertebroplasty in spinal metastasis – a retrospective analysis
Der periinterventionelle Schmerzverlauf bei der Vertebroplastie spinaler Metastasen – eine retrospektive Analyse
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Published: | April 11, 2007 |
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Objective: Vertebroplasty is an accepted method for the treatment of back pain in osteoporotic spinal fractures and spinal metastasis. Significant immediate back pain regression has been attributed to this intervention as its major benefit. This study has been initiated to investigate the contribution of vertebroplasty to perioperative pain therapy in spinal metastasis.
Methods: In 80 consecutive patients vertebroplasty was performed at 104 levels. 15 of these patients suffered from spinal metastasis, 61 from osteoporotic fractures and 4 patients had vertebral haemangiomas. Pain evaluation before and immediately after the intervention was performed by VAS in all patients suffering from spinal metastasis. Consumption of analgetic drugs was documented and classified by the WHO-pain scale before and in the first 4 days after vertebroplasty.
Results: A significant decrease in pain intensity could be evaluated by VAS immediately after vertebroplasty. No patients experienced an increase of packpain after the intervention. The total amount of analgetic consumption did not decline significantly within the WHO-classification.
Conclusions: Vertebroplasty influences the intensity of back pain in patients suffering from spinal metastasis immediately after the intervention. However, a significant decrease of analgetic demand within the short postinterventional course could not be observed in our series.