Objective  To investigate the effects of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) and percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) on refracture of adjacent vertebral bodies in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

  Methods  A total of 273 patients undergoing vertebral augmentation were selected as the study subjects. Among them, 39 cases had recurrent vertebral fractures and 234 cases had no recurrent vertebral fractures. The patient's general information, history, and fracture status (whether or not the patient suffered from refracture, the interval between the refracture and the first operation, the segment of the refracture, irregular anti-osteoporosis treatment, the amount of bone cement, the penetration of bone cement, and the change of Cobb angle) were recorded.

  Results  Among the 273 patients, 134 cases underwent PKP and 139 cases underwent PVP. The proportion of patients with refracture after PKP was 30.77% (12/134), which was significantly lower than 69.23% (27/139) of patients with refracture after PVP. The rate of bone cement leakage in PKP was 11.19% (15/134), which was significantly lower than 22.30%(31/139) in PVP. Preoperative and postoperative Cobb angle changes in patients receiving PKP vertebral body enhancement were greater than those receiving PVP vertebral body enhancement.

  Conclusion  The effect of PKP for patients' postoperative rehabilitation and prevention of re-fracture is better than that of PVP.