PURPOSE This study aimed to assess the results of computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy-guided vertebroplasty in patients with multiple myeloma, focusing on the frequency and clinical impact of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) leaks. MATERIALS AND METHODS From December 2001 to August 2008, 39 patients (17 females, 22 males; mean age, 65±7 years) with multiple myeloma suffering from painful spinal...

BACKGROUND Whether kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty is better for painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture is a widely debated issue. Studies on the comparison of the 2 approaches are relative limited and a wide variation exists in the patient population, study design, and results. These factors make it difficult for workers in this field to know the exact value of the 2 approaches. O...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure in which polymethylmethacrylate polymer is used to treat painful diseased vertebral bodies. However, despite its minimally invasive nature and relative safety, cement leakage beyond involved vertebral bodies into the venous system can induce devastating cardiovascular complications. Here, the authors report a case of multiple cardiac...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is an effective treatment for aggressive vertebral hemangiomas, osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, spinal metastases, and myelomas. As percutaneous vertebroplasty is more commonly performed to treat various forms of back pain, new or modified cements are being used. This review examines the physiochemical and biomechanical properties of various bone cement...

Methods: We evaluated 25 documented cases of metastatic spinal tumors with pathologic vertebral fractures who were suffering from severe pain and underwent vertebroplasty. Degree of pain was measured by visual analog scale (VAS). The symptoms were evaluated 24 hours and 2 months after vertebroplasty regarding the degree of pain relief.Complications such as leakage, embolism and infection were a...

OBJECT Patients with osteolytic metastases frequently suffer from serious local and radicular pain. Pathophysiologically, local pain arises from skeletal instability, whereas radicular pain originates from compression of nerve roots by local tumor growth. Causal treatment of osteolytic metastases in disseminated malignant disease is very difficult. Resection of vertebrae, in combination with ve...

OBJECTIVE Vertebrae with lytic metastases have an elevated risk of burst fracture and resultant neurologic compromise. Prophylactic vertebroplasty has the potential to reduce pain and the risk of burst fracture in the metastatic spine. The purpose of this study was to quantify the ability of vertebroplasty to stabilize metastatically involved vertebrae against the risk of burst fracture initiat...

Although over 500 articles have been published in the last 5 years on vertebroplasty, a fundamental question remains—is vertebroplasty a safe and eff ective procedure to reduce pain and disability for patients with vertebral compression fractures? Initial enthusiasm for vertebroplasty was driven by clinician experience and meta-analysis of large observational series showing patient benefi t. Th...

BACKGROUND Complications and failure of vertebroplasty, such as cement dislodgement, cement leakage, or spinal infection, usually result in spinal instability and neural element compression. Combined anterior and posterior approaches are the most common salvage procedure for symptomatic failed vertebroplasty. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a single post...

PURPOSE We sought to determine whether percutaneous vertebroplasty--which involves the injection of cement to stabilize a fractured vertebral body--may be an effective treatment for vertebral fracture. METHODS We enrolled 79 consecutive osteoporotic patients (24 men and 55 women; ages 51 to 93 years) presenting with acute vertebral fractures. Clinical characteristics and bone densitometry wer...