Vertebral Augmentation with a Flexible Curved Needle: Preliminary Results in 17 Consecutive Patients

• Published in: Journal of vascular and interventional radiology Vol. 19; no. 12; pp. 1785 - 1789
• Main Authors: Brook, Allan L., MD, Miller, Todd S., MD, Fast, Avital, MD, Nolan, Timothy, BS, Farinhas, Joaquim, MD, Shifteh, Keivan, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2008
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alloys; Back Pain - etiology; Back Pain - surgery; Bone Cements; Equipment Design; Female; Fractures, Compression - complications; Fractures, Compression - diagnostic imaging; Fractures, Compression - surgery; Humans; Injections; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Lumbar Vertebrae - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Needles; Pain Measurement; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Radiography, Interventional; Radiology; Spinal Fractures - complications; Spinal Fractures - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Fractures - surgery; Thoracic Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Thoracic Vertebrae - surgery; Treatment Outcome; Vertebroplasty - instrumentation; VAS; blunt-tipped curved needle; BCN; visual analog scale
• ISSN: 1051-0443; 1535-7732
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2008.09.008

This report details a trial demonstrating the viability of a blunt-tipped curved needle for use as a cement injection device for vertebral body augmentation. Between January and September 2007, 17 consecutive patients (eight men and nine women; average age, 76 years; age range, 52–97 years) underwent vertebral body augmentation with a blunt-tipped curved nitinol injection needle via a single pedicle to treat pain due to acute vertebral body compression fractures. All patients were successfully treated without complication. The results of the trial demonstrate that a curved blunt-tipped nitinol needle is a viable alternative to a rigid injection cannula when performing vertebral body augmentation with cement.