(i) Patient selection criteria for vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty in painful osteoporotic fracture

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are radiologically guided percutaneous procedures comprising the injection of bone cement into painful vertebral fractures for the purposes of pain relief. There has been considerable recent debate on the efficacy of these procedures for painful osteoporotic fracture. It is likely that this was due to insufficiently robust patient selection criteria in studies that showed no benefit to the procedure. Using the currently available literature, selection criteria are suggested that should restrict this procedure to those patients likely to benefit.