[Acupuncture combined with local anesthesia for percutaneous vertebroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the analgesic and sedative effects of acupuncture combined with local anesthesia for percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP).

METHODS: Sixty patients of single segmental osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures who were prepared to receive PVP were randomly divided into an observation group, a control 1 group, a control 2 group, 20 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) 20 min before operation; during operation, EA was given combined with regular anesthesia. The patients in the control 1 group were treated with intramuscular injection of parecoxib sodium (40 mg), combined with regular anesthesia. The patients in the control 2 group were treated with intravenous injection of dezocine (5 mg), combined with regular anesthesia. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Ramesy sedation score were compared among the three groups.

RESULTS: In the observation group and control 2 group, the VAS during puncture and bone cement placement was higher than that before acupuncture (all P <0.01); the VAS during bone cement placement was higher than that before puncture ( P <0.05, P <0.01); the VAS after operation was lower than that during puncture and bone cement placement ( P <0.05, P <0.01). In the control 1 group, the VAS during puncture and bone cement placement and after operation was higher than that before acupuncture ( P <0.01, P <0.05), the VAS after operation was lower than that during puncture and bone cement placement ( P <0.05, P <0.01). There was no significant difference in VAS and Ramesy score among three groups at all time points (all P >0.05).

CONCLUSION: Compared with local anesthesia and analgesics, acupuncture combined with local anesthesia has similar analgesic and sedative effect for PVP, which could be considered a better method for PVP anesthesia.