Advanced Spinal Restoration Techniques in Athletes: Evaluating Percutaneous Kyphoplasty Guided by CBCT for Treatment of Vertebral Injuries

Abstract

Background: This study aims to evaluate the utility, safety, and efficacy of Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)-guided percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in treating vertebral injuries commonly found in athletes, extending the research to include spinal conditions resulting from sports-related activities. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of athletes with vertebral injuries who underwent CBCT-guided PKP from January 1, 2009, to December 30, 2019. Preoperatively, 3D-CBCT was utilized to construct detailed imaging of the injury site and guide the puncture procedure. Postoperatively, 3D-CBCT was employed to assess the extent of cement leakage. Pain relief was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) 3-5 days post-operation, and the reduction in analgesic medication was recorded. The paired T-test was used to compare pre- and post-procedure VAS scores. Results: Out of 315 athletes reviewed, 559 vertebral injuries were treated; 268 treatments involved unilateral approach and 291 bilateral. Post-kyphoplasty, vertebral body cement leakage was observed in 98 cases, with a leakage rate of 17.6% (98/558). The mean pre-operative VAS score was 3.52 ± 2.59, significantly reducing to 1.57 ± 1.25 post-operatively (p < 0.001), indicating substantial pain relief. Conclusion: CBCT-guided PKP significantly enhances the precision of the treatment of vertebral injuries in athletes, providing a reliable preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance. This method demonstrates high safety and practicality, with a notable analgesic effect, suggesting its viability for managing sports-related spinal conditions. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes and rehabilitation speed to fully integrate this method into sports medicine protocols.