Firanescu CE, et al. - In this randomised, double blind, sham controlled clinical trial, the researchers evaluated whether percutaneous vertebroplasty results in more pain relief than a sham procedure in patients with acute osteoporotic compression fractures of the vertebral body. For this investigation, one hundred eighty members requiring treatment for acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were randomised to either vertebroplasty or a sham procedure. Among patients with acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, percutaneous vertebroplasty did not result in statistically significantly greater pain relief than a sham procedure during 12 months’ follow-up.