Mean VAS for pain and analgesic use scores before start of treatment and at 1 day after start of the treatment and the mean changes in both scores in 18 patients treated by PV and 16 patients treated by OPM; P value and 95% CI of the differences between patients after PV and patients treated by OPM
| PV (n = 18) | OPM (n = 16) | Difference PV–OPM | 95% CI Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial scores | ||||
| VAS for pain (range) | 7.1 (5–9) | 7.6 (5–10) | ||
| Analgesic use (range) | 1.9 (0–3) | 1.7 (0–3) | ||
| Scores after 1 day | ||||
| VAS for pain (range) | 4.7 (1–8) | 7.1 (5–10) | −2.4 | −3.7–−1.0 |
| Change | −2.3 | −0.5 | −1.8 | −2.9–−0.8 |
| Analgesic use (range) | 1.1 (0–3) | 2.5 (1–3) | −1.4 | −2.1–−0.8 |
| Change | −0.8 | +0.8 | −1.6 | −2.3–−0.8 |
Note:—VAS indicates visual analog scale; PV, percutaneous vertebroplasty; OPM, optimal pain medication; CI, confidence interval.