Patients who undergo percutaneous vertebroplasty can expect their pain relief to last for years, according to researchers at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, OH, and St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo.

Researchers performed 156 percutaneous injections of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in thoracic or lumbar vertebrae in 100 patients.

When asked to rate their pain before and after treatment, 97 patients reported significant pain relief 24 hours after treatment. Among 99 followed for an average of 21.5 months, 93% exhibited improvement not only in back pain but also in their ability to walk. The study was published in the September issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.