Effect of teriparatide on subsequent vertebral fractures after instrumented fusion surgery for osteoporotic vertebral fractures with neurological deficits

Study Design: Retrospective case review. Purpose: To assess the incidence and effect of teriparatide (TP) on subsequent vertebral fractures following a long-instrumented fusion surgery for osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs). Overview of Literature: TP treatment may be a useful strategy for patients with OVFs treated with a long-instrumented surgery. Methods: Overall, 47 patients who underwent long-instrumented fusion surgery (≥3 levels) for OVFs with neurological deficits between 2010 and 2013 were enrolled. The mean age of the subjects was 76 years; the study population comprised 20 males and 27 females. The mean follow-up duration was 23 months. The average of fused vertebrae was 4.9. TP was used for 19 patients who comprised the TP group. The incidence of subsequent VFs was estimated with Kaplan-Meier analyses and compared between the TP and non-TP groups using the log-rank test. Risk factors were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A total of 38% (18/47 cases) of the subjects were identified with subsequent VFs. There were no significant differences in the age, sex, fused levels, presence of prevalent fractures, and correction loss of the two groups. The occurrence of subsequent VFs was lower in the TP group than in the non-TP group (16% vs. 54%, p =0.014). The log-rank test revealed that the TP treatment significantly reduced the risk of subsequent VFs (p =0.048). A Cox proportional hazards model revealed that preoperative TP treatment is only a protective factor of subsequent VFs after instrumented fusion surgery for OVFs (hazard ratio, 0.281; p =0.047). Conclusions: In this retrospective study, pre- and postoperative TP treatment significantly reduced the incidence of subsequent VFs after instrumented fusion surgery for OVFs. A prospective randomized study is warranted to determine the efficacy of TP treatments. © 2019 by Korean Society of Spine Surgery.