ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effects and clinical characteristics of repeated percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) on subsequent non-operative osteoporotic vertebral compressible fractures (OVCF) after initial PVP for OVCF. MethodsFrom January 2008 to May 2013, 277 patients (331 vertebral bodies) with OVCF who were regularly followed up had underwent PVP. Among the 277 patients, the second treatment group included 42 patients who developed subsequent OVCF, which were retreated by PVP. And they were divided into adjacent new OVCF group (group A, 19 patients) and non-adjacent new OVCF group (group B, 23 patients). Analgesic effects and functional improvements were compared between the initial and second treatment. The interval of new OVCF after initial surgery, complications, and other clinical characteristics including age, gender, history of trauma, the amount of injected polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and PMMA leakage were compared between group A and B. ResultsThe improvement rates of visual analogue scale scores were (64.6±12.6)% in the initial treatment group and (67.4±12.8)% in the second treatment group (P>0.05). The improvement rates of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were (60.6±13.3)% in the initial treatment group and (62.6±12.9)% in the second treatment group (P>0.05). The interval of incidence of subsequent new OVCF after the initial treatment were (62.4±45.5) days in group A and (203.7±77.6) days in group B, respectively (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in age, gender, history of trauma, the amount of injected PMMA and PMMA leakage between group A and group B (P>0.05). No surgery-related complications occurred after the second treatment except asymptomatic cement leakage in 5 patients, one of whom suffered from adjacent OVCF 3 months after the operation. ConclusionThe therapeutic effect of repeated PVP for new OVCF on alleviating the pain and improving the function is just as the effect of the initial operation. Adjacent new OVCF primarily occurs earlier after initial PVP.