REVIEW   

Minerva Endocrinology 2022 June;47(2):189-202

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-6507.21.03515-6

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Multidisciplinary management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures

Teresa SOMMA ¹, Andrea DE ROSA ¹ ✉, Ciro MASTANTUONI ¹, Felice ESPOSITO ¹, Vincenzo MEGLIO ¹, Fiammetta ROMANO ², Luca RICCIARDI ³, Oreste de DIVITIIS ¹, Carolina DI SOMMA ²

¹ Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ² Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Medical School, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ³ Unit of Neurosurgery, Department NESMOS, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Vertebral fractures represent the most frequent complication associated with osteoporosis. Patients harboring a vertebral fracture complain physical impairment including low back pain and spine balance alteration, i.e., kyphosis, leading to subsequent systemic complication, with an increase in morbidity and mortality risk. Different strategies are available in the management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: medical therapy acts as a prevention strategy while surgical vertebral augmentation procedures, when correctly indicated, aim to reduce pain and to restore the physiological vertebral height. Considering the growing prevalence and incidence of this condition and its socio-economic burden, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures are of utmost importance. Our aim is to review the current strategies for the management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures providing an integrated multidisciplinary endocrinological, radiological and neurosurgical point of view.

KEY WORDS: Spinal fractures; Neurosurgery; Endocrinology; Osteoporosis