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Vertebroplasty

Osteoporosis affects more than 30 million Americans. Compression fractures occur in more than 500,000 patients per year in the US, are more frequent than hip fractures, and often result in prolonged disability. Risk factors include advanced age, Caucasian or Asian race, low weight, diseases such as kidney failure, and medication use such as prednisone. Current preventative measures include calcium and vitamin D supplementation, exercise, smoking cessation, and medications such as biphosphonates. Management includes pain control with acetaminophen (Tylenol), non-steroidals (Motrin), narcotics (Percocet), and bracing. Unfortunately, the compression fractures often progress and develop at other levels resulting in loss of height, disability, and secondary complications from immobilization including pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. Percutaneous vertebroplasty has recently been introduced into the US as an effective therapeutic and preventative treatment for the pain and progressive loss of height in compression fractures.

What is Vertebroplasty?

Vertebroplasty literally means fixing the vertebral body. A metal needle is passed into the vertebral body and a cement mixture containing polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), barium powder, tobramycin, and a solvent are injected under imaging guidance by the physician. The cement hardens rapidly and buttresses the weakened bone. The barium makes the cement visible on x-ray and the tobramycin is an antibiotic. The procedure was originally developed in France in 1984 and has been further refined in the US since 1995.

How is Vertebroplasty performed?

Usually, the procedure is performed in an interventional radiology suite with special x-ray equipment (c-arm fluoroscopy) with nurses and technologists to help sedate the patient and operate the equipment. The patient is placed prone on the x-ray table and made as comfortable as possible. Sedation usually includes a narcotic (fentanyl) and a benzodiazopine (versed), which are short acting and can be reversed if necessary.

The skin and underlying tissues are anesthetized with lidocaine and a special bone needle is passed slowly through the pedicle into the vertebral body using a slightly angled posterior approach.
  • When the needle is in appropriate position, a small test injection with x-ray contrast is performed to ensure that a vein has not been entered.
  • This prevents the inadvertent passage of cement into a vein and embolization to the heart and lungs. The needle is repositioned if necessary and the cement mixture is slowly injected during constant x-ray monitoring. When the potential spaces within the vertebral body are filled, the needle is slowly removed and the other half of the vertebral body is then filled with the cement.

The Tools

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    Bone needles - Specifically made for smooth passage through bone, can also be used for biopsy
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    PMMA -polymethylmethacralate, A synthetic quick setting cement FDA approved for human use in surgical procedures
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    Tobramycin- an antibiotic powder used added to the cement to prevent infection
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    Barium - an inert powder added to the PMMA cement to make it visible on xray. It is manufactured by Bryan Corp.
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CASE PRESENTATIONS

Case 1 - Osteoporosis.

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These images demonstrate injection of cement into both of these vertebral bodies alleviating the pain and preventing further collapse.

This patient suffered from painful compression fractures. One had already significantly collapsed while the other was just starting to collapse.

Case 2 - Metastatic breast cancer

This patient had disseminated metastatic breast cancer to bone and had received both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She developed paralysis and incapacitating pain. The MRI images show extensive bone tumor with collapse of the T10 and T11 vertebrae resulting in spinal cord compression. There was also extensive tumor in the T12, L2, and L4 vertebrae. Surgery with metal rod stablization was planned but there was fear that further vertebral body collapse would occur. Vertebroplasty was therefore performed at T12, L2, and L4. The patient's paralysis quickly resolved with steroid administration (decreased tumor swelling) and her pain was markedly decreased following the vertebroplasty. She left the hospital without having any surgery.

Risks of Procedure

What are indications for Vertebroplasty?

Relative Contraindications

Patient Evaluation

Follow Up Care

Vertebroplasty Statistics

Contact Information

Dr. Jonathan Wiener
Director, MRI and Neuroradiology
Boca Radiology Group
E-mail:JWiener@BocaRadiology.com
Website: http://BocaRadiology.com
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BOCA RATON REGIONAL HOSPITAL
800 Meadows Road
Boca Raton, Florida USA 33486
Phone: (561) 391-1728
Fax: (561) 955-5015

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American Society of Neuroradiology,

subspecialty organization committed to excellence in clinical care
research in imaging and therapy of neurological disease