Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of robot-assisted percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) in the elderly. Methods The clinical data of 90 elderly patients with OVCF treated in Sichuan Science City Hospital between June 2019 and March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into robot-assisted group (40 cases) and C-arm-assisted group (50 cases). The pre- and post-operative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, pre- and post-operative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, intraoperative cement leakage, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, operation time, and the loss of hemoglobin were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results The incidence of intraoperative cement leakage (5% vs. 20%), intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency [(18.3±3.2) vs. (41.3±7.8) times], operation time [(28.3±4.6) vs. (43.2±7.3) min] and the loss of hemoglobin [(7.2±2.0) vs. (15.2±4.4) g/L] of the robot-assisted group were less than those of the C-arm-assisted group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the decrease of VAS score or ODI score (3.63±1.64 vs. 3.40±1.65, P>0.05; 50.70±4.95 vs. 52.10±6.69, P>0.05). Conclusions Robot-assisted PVP for elderly patients with OVCF can significantly reduce the risk of cement leakage, shorten the operation time, reduce the intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, and reduce the surgical hidden blood loss. It can be used for clinical promotion and application.
