Prompt surgical management for spinal fracture in the elderly aged over 90 years with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis to extend their healthy lifespan

There is a possibility that the patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) increase with aging of the population and progressive lengthening of life expectancy in developed countries. In the patients with DISH, even a trivial vertebral fracture may actually turn out to be a three-column injury because mechanical stress is applied to the fracture site due to the lever arm effect. Under these circumstances, even a prolonged strict immobilization often results in failure. Recently, elderly people increasingly wish to maintain physical abilities. We present three patients aged over 90 years with DISH sustaining lower thoracic vertebral fracture after minor trauma. Long fusion involving three vertebral levels above and below the fracture site was performed with pedicle screw system, and vertebroplasty was carried out by transpedicular filling with hydroxyapatite blocks. The patients’ activities of daily living were maintained close to the pre-injury level 1 year and 9 months, 2 years and 3 months, and 1 year after surgery, respectively. Many reports have recommended surgery over conservative treatments at vertebral fracture complicating DISH; however, there has been no report of vertebral fracture in patients aged over 90 years with DISH. Satisfactory results were obtained by surgical treatment in our three patients despite their age. We recommend posterior fusion with vertebroplasty just after injury for vertebral fracture in the elderly patients of advanced age with DISH to extend their healthy lifespan.