Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Combined with Zoledronic Acid in Treatment and Prevention of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta of Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to help elucidate the benefits and advantages of vertebroplasty combined with zoledronic acid (ZOL) versus vertebroplasty alone, to provide clinical recommendations for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) considering the current best-available evidence. METHODS: We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library and performed a systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials and retrospective comparative studies assessing these important indexes of 2 methods using Review Manager 5.4. RESULTS: Four randomized controlled trials and 4 retrospective studies including 2335 cases were identified. Vertebroplasty combined with ZOL was associated with benefits from decreased pain (weighted mean difference [WMD] -0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.59 to -0.27; P < 0.05), increased function (WMD -4.94; 95% CI -6.13 to -3.75; P < 0.05), increased BMD of the vertebral body(WMD 0.85; 95% CI 0.30-1.40; P < 0.05) and of the proximal femoral neck (WMD 0.14; 95% CI 0.08-0.21; P < 0.05), fewer markers of bone metabolism (N-terminal molecular fragment: WMD -4.82; 95% CI -6.08 to -3.55; P < 0.05; procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide: WMD -17.31; 95% CI -18.04 to -16.58; P < 0.05; beta collagen degradation product: WMD -0.27; 95% CI -0.35 to -0.19; P < 0.05), and lower rate of refracture (1.54% and 12.6%; odds ratio 0.17; 95% CI 0.08-0.36; P < 0.05). Patients in the vertebroplasty combined with ZOL group had greater vertebral body height (WMD 2.17; 95% CI 0.72-3.62; P 0.05) than in the vertebroplasty group, but no differences on Cobb angle were observed (WMD -1.18; 95% CI -2.47 to 0.10; P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vertebroplasty combined with ZOL was superior to vertebroplasty alone in terms of BMD, bone metabolism makers, refracture rate, pain and function.