The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a nerve-root injection for the alleviation of pain in osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Eighteen patients with pain from osteoporotic vertebral fracture, without improvement after conservative treatment, were included in this study. The group consisted of sixteen women and two men, and had with a mean age of 71 years. Patients underwent a nerve-root injection with lidocane, bupivacane and depomedrol, and were allowed as many as three injections. The mean follow-up period was 13.5 months.

The average pain scores at pre-injection, 1 month and 6 months after the injection and final follow-up were 85, 24.9, 14.1 and 17.4, respectively. According to the criteria used to assess clinical results, there was one excellent, thirteen good and four fair results. A newly developed compression fracture was noted in one patient. No complication was related to the injection.

Our data show that nerve-root injections are effective at improving pain. This suggests that patients with pain from osteoporotic vertebral fractures should be considered for treatment with nerve-root injections prior to being considered for percutaneous vertebroplasty or operative intervention.