Serious Pyogenic Spondylitis Following Vertebroplasty—A Case Report

In Brief Study Design. The aim of this case report is to examine the problem of serious pyogenic spondylitis that may follow vertebroplasty. Objectives. To report 1 case of serious pyogenic spondylitis caused by percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethyl methacrylate. Summary of Background Data. Serious pyogenic spondylitis caused by percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethyl methacrylate is a rare complication. We herein report a case of pyogenic spondylitis that occurred after the patient had undergone vertebroplasty. Methods. A 78-year-old woman with a T12 osteoporotic compression fracture, and without a magnetic resonance imaging sign of infection, underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty using polymethyl methacrylate without complication. Results. About 1 month after the operation, the patient was readmitted because of severe backache, and the diagnosis of pyogenic spondylitis was made using radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging. Anterior inter-body fusion with a strut bone graft after debridement and posterior instrumentation were then performed. Conclusions. Vertebroplasty should proceed under sterile conditions. Excluding the possibility of spinal infection before surgery and a detailed evaluation assuring that the patient is without systemic infectious disease before the vertebroplasty procedure is crucial. Many reports have explored the possible complications of vertebroplasty, such as nerve injury caused by cement leakage, and some fatalities caused by the forming of fat or cement emboli. The aim of this report is to examine the problems of serious pyogenic spondylitis that may be encountered following vertebroplasty.