Radiological and clinical data of 60 patients comprising 18 men and 42 women were collected. With a range of 60–100 years of age, the mean age was 70.2 ± 9.17 years. 68.30% of the patients were between the ages of 70–80 and 40% had two or more chronic diseases. 58% of the patients had post-menopausal OP, 23% due to prolonged steroid use and 8% due to post-gynecological surgery-related causes. No patient had any pre- or post-operative neurological deficit.

VCF in 132 levels were treated in total (Fig. 2). The most common site was the thoracolumbar junction (T11–L1) fractures with 46 levels. The most common type of fracture was type A with 107 levels (81%) and the remainder 25 levels were type B.

Patients with a loss of height no more than 50% in the affected level and less than 20° of kyphosis (Type A) were treated with PVP alone (n = 38). Regardless of the type of fracture, patients with a loss of height greater than 50%, kyphosis less than 20° and concomitant disc pathology, were treated with TLIF-VP (n = 6). Patients with a kyphosis greater than 20° were treated with TP-VP (n = 16). PVP patients were mobile 6 h after surgery, whereas the other group was mobile after 12–24 h.

The shortest duration of surgery and minimum blood loss was in the PVP group (Fig. 3). Indicators of restoring the height of the vertebral body and correction of kyphotic deformity were assessed in the first three days after surgery using radiography. The results obtained were subjected to statistical processing using the MS Excel software package. The distribution of populations other than normal was carried out on the basis of methods of non-parametric analysis of the sample using the Mann–Whitney test. Differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Duration of surgery and blood loss according to the intervention (error bars: standard deviation)

The restoration of the vertebral body height was notably highest in the TLIF-VP group whereas the kyphotic deformity correction angle was greatest in the TP-VP group (Table 1). Although statistically insignificant, fractures younger than 1 month were more prone to restored body height and kyphotic correction.

For the follow-up examinations, the operated patients were invited for examinations at 3, 6, 12 months from the date of the intervention, and some were also interviewed by phone. On average, each patient was observed for 14.8 ± 6.2 months. Forty-five patients stated they benefited from the intervention in alleviating their back pain, whereas 15 patients stated minimal improvement. VAS pain score changes at the 3rd month control on average indicated a reduction by 4.3 points (range: 1–8) (p < 0.05).

The functional recovery and satisfaction of the patients at the 12-month control were evaluated in reference to ODI and VAS score changes. A VAS score of 0–3, ODI < 20% and the correction of kyphosis to be not less than 5° were considered good in 45 patients. A satisfactory result of a VAS score of 4–5, ODI < 40% and the correction of kyphosis to be not less than 10° was observed in 10 patients. Unsatisfactory result of VAS 6 ≥, ODI 41–100%, significant loss of correction in kyphosis, neighboring VCF and sagittal imbalance was observed in five patients.