Percutaneous stabilization of lumbar spine: a literature review and new options in treating spine pain

Abstract

Vertebral fracture (VF) is a common condition with >160,000 patients affected every year in North America and most of them with affected lumbar vertebrae. The management of VF is well known and defined by many protocols related to associated clinical neurological symptoms, especially in case of the presence or absence of myelopathy or radicular deficit. In this article, we will explore the percutaneous stabilization of the lumbar spine by showing the newest approaches for this condition.

Figure 1.

Vertebroplasty: the steps of percutaneous vertebroplasty: introduction of the needle in anteroposterior (a) and laterolateral (b) view, injection of polymethylmethacrylate under continuous fluoroscopic guidance (c) and final result (d).

Figure 2.

Balloon kyphoplasty: inflation of the balloons in anteroposterior (a) and laterolateral view (b, c), injection of the bone cement after deflation and delivery of the balloons (d) and final result (e, f).

Figure 3.

VerteLift® (Spine Align Medical Inc., San Jose, CA) device: final position of the implant (a, b) and after injection of polymethylmethacrylate (c, d).

Figure 4.

OsseoFix® (Alphatec Spine Inc., Carlsbad, CA) device: introduction (a), expansion (b), and delivery (c) of the implantand final result after injection of the bone cement (d, e).

Figure 5.

Steps of the vertebral body stenting device: insertion of the device (a), inflation of the balloons (b, c), deflation of the balloons and delivery of the two stents (d, e) and injection of polymethylmethacrylate (f).

Figure 6.

Steps of the Spine Jack device: introduction of the trocar needle (a) followed by the Kirshner wire (b), the reamer (c) and the template (d); once the contralateral approach has been performed, introduction of the implants (e), their expansion in laterolateral (f) and anteroposterior (g) view and injection of polymethylmethacrylate (h).