Radiofrequency Heat Ablation and Vertebroplasty in the treatment of neoplastic vertebral body fractures.

BACKGROUND Metastatic cancer is the most common malignant disease of the skeletal system. Traditionally, conventional fractionated external beam radiotherapy has been the treatment of choice. Recently, minimally invasive surgical techniques (MISS) have been added to the therapeutic armamentarium. The purpose of our study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of Radiofrequency Heat Ablation and Vertebroplasty in the treatment of neoplastic Vertebral Compressive Fractures (VCF). The aim of radiofrequency heat ablation is to destroy the tumor tissue before stabilizing the vertebra through the intrasomatic injection of cement. PATIENTS AND METHODS We treated patients with unremitting pain over spine, in absence of symptomatic spinal cord or roots compression and refractory to conventional therapeutic options such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery and use of analgesics. RESULTS The method demonstrated swift pain relief associated with an evident augmentation in the weight-bearing resistance. CONCLUSION The association of Radiofrequency Heat Ablation and Vertebroplasty is an effective, simple and safe treatment of vertebral collapse consequent to metastases.