Purpose: To retrospectively determine the effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for patients with ambulation difficulties due to acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Materials and Methods: We enrolled 62 patients who met the following criteria: almost normal ambulation before osteoporotic vertebral fracture, ambulation difficulties after onset, and a first-time PVP performed within 4 weeks. The patients were divided into Earlier (n = 46) or Later groups (n = 16) in which patients underwent PVP within 2 weeks or later, respectively. Mobility scores 7 days post-PVP in the Earlier group were compared with those 1 day before PVP in the Later group, that is, the conservatively waiting state. Earlier group values were also compared with those at 7 days post-PVP in the Later group to estimate the effectiveness of later PVP.

Results: Mobility scores at 7 days post-PVP in Earlier group were significantly better than those 1 day before PVP in the Later group, suggesting that PVP provided mobility improvements sooner than the conservatively waiting state. Meanwhile, the lack of a difference in mobility scores at 7 days post-PVP between the Earlier and Later groups indicated that later PVP provided improvement comparable to earlier PVP.

Conclusion: Earlier PVP contributes to earlier recovery from ambulation difficulties due to acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures than later PVP, while earlier and later PVP show equivalent efficacy in restoration of ambulation.