[Percutaneous vertebroplasty]

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the procedure of percutaneous vertebroplasty and to present our first clinical results of patients treated for benign or malignant painful vertebral body disease.

Material and methods: We performed percutaneous vertebroplasty in 31 painful lesions of the spine. Liquid bone cement was injected into the affected vertebral body using fluoroscopic guidance through a bilateral transpedicular approach. Etiology of the bone disease was assessed by biopsy. Pain intensity was assessed before and 1 week after the procedure by standardized catalogue.

Results: Percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed in 17 thoracic and in 14 lumbar spine bodies of benign (n = 23) or malignant (n = 8) disease; no clinically relevant complications occurred. All patients reported significant pain relief 1 week after the intervention. One week after treatment, patients were pain-free in 15/31 vertebral bodies, and reported mild residual pain not necessitating narcotic medication in 16/31 cases.

Conclusion: In accordance with the literature, percutaneous vertebroplasty proved to be a highly effective, minimal invasive interventional procedure to treat severely painful bone lesions of benign and malignant origin.