The purpose of this study was to examine incidence of recompression and risk factors in the patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) after vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty.

This study was conducted on 179 vertebral bodies of 126 patients who underwent vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty on OVCF from January 2004 to August 2013.

When anterior vertebral height of fractured vertebrae declined by more than 3 mm from the height immediately after vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, it was judged that recompression had occurred. Recompression was observed in a total of 58 vertebrae (32.4%). Recompression occurrences were found to be decreasing significantly when fractured vertebrae were the thoracic spine. In addition, osteonecrosis occurred in the preoperative vertebrae and restoration degree of anterior vertebral height immediately after vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty affected recompression occurrences significantly. The other factors (age, sex, bone mineral density, steroid medication history, follow-up duration, cement volume, vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, and approach method) were compared, but no statistical significance was found.

The risk of vertebral recompression is more common, especially when osteonecrosis occurred in preoperative vertebrae or when vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty achieved remarkable restoration of anterior vertebra height. When performing vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, such conditions should be considered carefully.