Comparison of unilateral versus bilateral balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Thirty-one patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) were treated with unilateral balloon kyphoplasty (BKP), and 31 patients were treated with bilateral BKP. The efficacy of unilateral and bilateral BKP was assessed by comparing operation time, X-ray exposure times, incidence of complications, vertebral height restoration, and improvement of the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. The mean operative time and the exposure time to X-rays in the unilateral BKP group was less than that of the bilateral BKP group (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in the cement leakage rate, VAS score, or vertebral height restoration between the two groups (p>0.05). Unilateral and bilateral BKP are safe and effective treatments for OVCF. Compared with bilateral BKP, patients undergoing unilateral BKP have shorter operations and receive lower X-ray radiation doses.