Figure 2

A 68-year old lady fell on glazed frost and presented with acute back pain without neurological symptoms. The plain radiographs revealed osteoporotic fractures at L1 and L2 type A1.2 according to Magerl et al [18] without spinal stenosis in both CT and MRI (a). After kyphoplasty L1 and L2 and onset of a medical anti-osteoporotic therapy the patient was pain-free for one month (b). The kyphotic deformity of L1 could be improved from 12 degrees to 6 degrees. Then she presented with immobilizing radicular pain radiating into the lumbar region. Signs of caudal or conus compression were not present. Plain radiographs revealed a sintering of the already kyphoplastized vertebra L1 with 14 degrees kyphosis (c). CT-scans revealed a significant central and foraminal stenosis (d, e) without myelon compression in the MRI (f, g). After a microscopically-assisted decompression at T12/L1 the patient was pain-free and further sintering did not occur thereafter.