A Trial of Vertebroplasty for Painful Chronic Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures (Vertos V) — VERTOSV  

Osteoporosis Clinical Trial

Official title: A Randomised Sham Controlled Trial of Vertebroplasty for Painful Chronic Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Background The standard care in patients with a painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is conservative therapy. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV), a minimally invasive technique, is a relatively new treatment option. Recent randomized controlled trials (RCT) provide conflicting results: two sham-controlled studies showed no benefit of PV while an unmasked but controlled RCT (VERTOS II) found effective pain relief at acceptable costs in patients with acute VCFs. A still ongoing masked RCT (VERTOS IV) focuses on acute VCFs defined as ≤ 6 weeks. VERTOS III focused on conservative treatment and found that half of patients still had disabling pain after 3 months or longer. These patients with sustained pain after 3 months may benefit from PV.

Objective To compare pain relief after PV with a sham intervention in selected patients with a chronic osteoporotic VCF ( three months or longer) using the same strict inclusion criteria as in VERTOS II an IV. Secondary outcome measures are back pain related disability and quality of life.

Methods The VERTOS V study is a prospective RCT with pain relief as primary endpoint. Inclusion criteria are a VCF of thoracic level 5 or lower with focal tenderness at fracture level, assessed by an internist on physical examination and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score ≥ 5 for three months or longer, decreased bone density defined as T score ≤ -1 and age 50 years or older. 94 patients will be included, 47 in each arm. Crossovers are not allowed. Follow-up is at regular intervals during one year period with VAS score for pain as primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints are back pain related disability and quality of life measured with the Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and physical function measured with the Roland Morris Disability questionnaire.

Conclusion Vertos V is a methodologically sound masked randomised sham controlled trial of vertebroplasty in patients with sustained pain 3 months or longer after a vertebral compression fracture.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Fractures, Bone
• Osteoporosis
• Spinal Fractures
• Vertebral Fracture

• NCT number: NCT01963039
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 2013
• Completion date: September 3, 2020