Percutaneous vertebroplasty: technique and results in 192 procedures

• Published in: Neurological research (New York) Vol. 26; no. 1; p. 41
• Main Authors: Cohen, José E, Lylyk, Pedro, Ceratto, Rosana, Kaplan, Leonid, Umanskyt, Felix, Gomori, John Moshe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.01.2004
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Back Pain - diagnostic imaging; Back Pain - pathology; Back Pain - surgery; Female; Hemangioma - diagnostic imaging; Hemangioma - pathology; Hemangioma - surgery; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Selection; Polymethyl Methacrylate - therapeutic use; Postoperative Care - standards; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Postoperative Complications - prevention & control; Preoperative Care - standards; Prostheses and Implants - standards; Prostheses and Implants - statistics & numerical data; Prostheses and Implants - trends; Retrospective Studies; Spinal Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Diseases - pathology; Spinal Diseases - surgery; Spinal Fractures - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Fractures - pathology; Spinal Fractures - surgery; Spinal Neoplasms - secondary; Spinal Neoplasms - surgery; Spine - diagnostic imaging; Spine - pathology; Spine - surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0161-6412
• DOI: 10.1179/016164104773026516

Percutaneous vertebroplasty with acrylic cement (usually polymethylmethacrylate) consists of injecting cement into vertebral bodies weakened by osseous lesions. The objective of this procedure is to obtain an analgesic effect by mechanical stabilization in destructive lesions of the spine. The three major indications are aggressive vertebral hemangiomas, severe or refractory pain related to osteoporotic vertebral fractures, and malignant vertebral tumors. Complications are infrequent, but occur essentially in patients with vertebral malignant tumors. We present our experience with 148 patients that underwent 192 percutaneous PMMA vertebroplasties for the treatment of painful osteoporotic compression fractures (76 patients, 105 vertebral levels), hemangiomas (31 patients, 43 vertebral levels) and neoplasms (31 patients, 43 vertebral levels). In a vast majority of appropriately selected cases and especially in osteoporotic cases, vertebroplasty constitutes a relatively simple procedure with a very high rate of success.