Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Vertebral Compression Fracture

Background: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a less invasive method for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. Several studies have reported the occurrence of severe complications caused by leakage of the injected materials after percutaneous vertebroplasty, however. Objectives: Safe and accurate procedures of percutaneous vertebroplasty were examined, and the short-term results were evaluated. Methods for the prevention of complications were also evaluated. Methods and Results: The subjects were 24 patients (30 vertebrae), consisting of 8 men and 16 women with a mean age of 78.4 years. Neurologic or systemic complications, such as pulmonary embolism, were not observed. After surgery, no aggravation of pain was observed, and pain was alleviated in 22 patients. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) score was 6.9 points before surgery and 1.2 points after surgery. Before surgery, 8 patients could walk by themselves, 4 patients could walk with a little help, and 12 patients could not walk, whereas after surgery, 20 patients could walk by themselves. Of these 20 patients, 14 could walk by themselves on the day of or next day after surgery and 6 could walk within 4 days after surgery. Conclusions: Percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of compression fractures removed pain in more than 90% of the patients, indicating good short-term results. To obtain good results without complications by this method, accurate determination of the vertebrae to be treated, the body position, needling under the guidance of fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT), and cement injection based on venographic findings by CT and fluoroscopy are important.