Intraosseous venography with carbon dioxide contrast agent in percutaneous vertebroplasty.

OBJECTIVE Our objectives were to ascertain whether CO2 can be used as a contrast agent in venography during percutaneous vertebroplasty and to evaluate whether it might be capable of replacing nonionic iodinated contrast agents. CONCLUSION Intraosseous venography with CO2 contrast agent was slightly inferior to iodine venography in terms of its ability to visualize the vertebral bodies and perivertebral veins, but it remains a useful technique because no interference with optimal visualization of bone cement occurs during the cement injection when CO2 remains within the fracture cleft.