[Percutaneous vertebral surgery. Technics and indications]

Abstract

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a technique of interventional radiology, which allows to fulfill pathologic vertebral body with acrylic cement. This method is used to strengthen the vertebral body and reduce pain in some diseases involving the vertebra. Main indications are spine angiomas, metastases and osteoporosis. The vertebroplasty is realised under neuroleptanalgesia for cervical spine antero lateral way is used. For thoracic or lumbar vertebra, the way of approach is usually transpedicular; but in some cases, this approach is not possible: osteolysis of the pedicle, surgical osteosynthesis; in such cases, a postero lateral approach is realized. Technical incidents are not rare, but are usually asymptomatic. More frequent are venous filling with cement; the veins involved can be intra spinal (vertebral plexus) or paraspinal. Instead of this frequency pulmonary embolism in direct relation with the vertebroplasty where not reported. Extravasation in intervertebral disk or soft tissue can also be observed. This last incident can be in relation with the way of the needle or with a cortical rupture. Local complications are rare: rate of neurological deficit or infection is under 0.5%. Radicular pain is observed in 3.7% of cases. These complications are in close relation with the radiological involvement of the vertebra: cortical disruption, heterogeneous Lysis of the vertebral body. The frequency of complications is 1.3% in osteoporosis, 2.5% in spine angiomas and 10% in metastatic disease. Indications concern lesion involving the vertebral body: symptomatic spine angiomas; painful osteoporotic fractures after medical treatment or in patients with a high risk of decubitus complications; in metastatic disease, vertebroplasty is a way to consolidate the vertebral body and release pain. It can be usefull in recurrent pain after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, and also in unstable vertebra to obtain a stabilization before radiotherapic or chemotherapic treatment isolated or in combination with surgical osteosynthesis.