Improvement in respiratory function after vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty

Our objective was to study the changes in respiratory function of patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) after vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Thoracic kyphotic angle, local kyphotic angle, pain scores and pulmonary function parameters were measured in 38 older women with OVCFs before, three days after and three months after operation. Vital capacity, forced vital capacity and maximum voluntary ventilation significantly increased three days after operation (P < 0.01), but only maximum voluntary ventilation went on to improve three months later (P < 0.01); the thoracic kyphotic angle had a significantly negative correlation with vital capacity (vertebroplasty: r = −0.832; kyphoplasty: r = −0.546). In thoracic subgroups, the improvement of the local kyphotic angle and vital capacity had a remarkably positive correlation (vertebroplasty: r = 0.778; kyphoplasty: r = 0.637), and kyphoplasty could improve vital capacity more than vertebroplasty (P < 0.01). Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty improve the lung function impaired by OVCFs, and kyphoplasty has a better effect in improving vital capacity for thoracic OVCFs.