Postoperative bracing after vertebroplasty: a prospective randomized controlled study.

Study Summary

160 patients aged 60 years and above with single-level osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) were randomized to No-Brace, Soft-Brace, Rigid-Brace, or Mixed-Brace (rigid brace for 4 weeks followed by soft brace for 8 weeks). The primary outcome was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included visual analogue scale (VAS) back pain and stiffness, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical and mental component scores, and anterior body compression ratio (ABCR). Outcomes were assessed up to 12 weeks. Overall, the results revealed that mixed and soft bracing produced faster improvements in disability, while the mixed-brace group achieved the highest JOA score and favourable mental health outcomes; rigid and mixed bracing also better preserved vertebral height. However, most between-group differences were below or near minimum clinically important difference thresholds. Sequential rigid-to-soft bracing appeared to provide the best overall balance between mechanical support and short-term functional recovery