Initial experience, feasibility, and technical development with an electromagnetic navigation assistance in percutaneous pelvic bone cementoplasty: retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility and technical outcomes of pelvic bone cementoplasty using an electromagnetic navigation system (EMNS) in standard practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Monocentric retrospective study of all consecutive patients treated with cementoplasty or reinforced cementoplasty of the pelvic bone with EMNS-assisted procedures. The endpoints were periprocedural adverse events, needle repositioning rates, procedure duration, and radiation exposure. RESULTS: A detailed description of the technical steps is provided. Thirty-three patients (68 years ± 10) were treated between February 2016 and February 2020. Needle repositioning was required for 1/33 patients (3%). The main minor technical adverse event was soft tissue PMMA cement leaks. No major adverse event was noted. The median number of CT acquisitions throughout the procedures was 4 (range: 2 to 8). Radiation exposure and mean procedure duration are provided. CONCLUSION: Electromagnetic navigation system-assisted percutaneous interventions for the pelvic bone are feasible and lead to low rates of minor technical adverse events and needle repositioning. Procedure duration and radiation exposure were low. KEY POINTS: • Initial experience for 33 patients treated with an electromagnetic navigation assistance for pelvic cementoplasty shows feasibility and safety. • The use of an electromagnetic navigation system does not expose to high procedure duration or radiation exposure. • The system is efficient in assisting the radiologist for extra-axial planes in challenging approaches.

The "Eiffel Tower" technique: novel long-axis sacroplasty under electromagnetic navigation assistance; feasibility and descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a novel long-axis multimodal navigation assisted technique - the so-called Eiffel Tower technique - aimed at integrating recent technological improvements for the routine treatment of sacral insufficiency fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The long-axis approach described in the present study aimed at consolidating the sacral bone according to biomechanical considerations. The purpose was (i) to cement vertically the sacral alae all along and within the lateral fracture lines, resembling the pillars of a tower, and (ii) to reinforce cranially with a horizontal S1 landing zone (or dense central bone) resembling the first level of the tower. An electromagnetic navigation system was used in combination with CT and fluoroscopic guidance to overtop extreme angulation challenges. All patients treated between January 2019 and October 2021 in a single tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A description of the technique is provided. Twelve female patients (median age: 80 years [range: 32 to 94]) were treated for sacral insufficiency fractures with the "Eiffel Tower" technique. The median treatment delay was 8 weeks (range: 3 to 20) and the initial median pain assessed by the visual analogue scale was 7 (range: 6 to 8). Pain was successfully relieved (visual analogue score < 3) for 9 patients (75%) and persisted for 2 patients (17%). One patient was lost during the follow-up. No complication was noted. CONCLUSION: The "Eiffel Tower" multimodal cementoplasty integrates recent technological developments, in particular electromagnetic navigation, with the purpose of reconstructing the biomechanical chain of the sacral bone. KEY POINTS: • Sacral insufficiency fractures are common and can be efficiently treated with percutaneous sacroplasty. • The long axis sacroplasty approach can be challenging given both the shape of the sacral bone and the angulation to reach the target lesion. • The "Eiffel Tower" technique is a novel approach using electromagnetic navigation to expand the concept of the long axis route, adding a horizontal S1 landing zone.

Extraction of cement leakages and malpositioned spindles complicating percutaneous interventions: why, when and how?

OBJECTIVES: Cement leakages in soft tissues are a common occurrence during cementoplasty. They may cause chronic pain, and thus treatment failure. Spindle malposition during reinforced cementoplasty may cause vascular, nerve or cartilage injury. Our goal was to evaluate the rate of cement leakage/spindle extraction and describe the techniques used. METHODS: This retrospective monocentre study included 104 patients who underwent reinforced cementoplasty and 3425 patients who underwent cementoplasty between 2012 and 2020. Operative reports and fluoroscopic images were reviewed to identify extraction attempts and their outcomes. RESULTS: Six patients (5.8%) had a malpositioned spindle, and all of them underwent spindle extraction during reinforced cementoplasty, with an 80% success rate. A total of 7 attempts were performed, using 2 different techniques. One thousand one hundred thirty patients (32%) had a cement leak in soft tissues, and 7 (0.6%) underwent cement leakage extraction during cementoplasty, with a 100% success rate. A total of 10 attempts were performed, using 3 different techniques. No major complication related to the extraction procedures occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Spindle malpositions and soft tissue cement leakages are not uncommon. We described 5 different percutaneous techniques that were safe and effective to extract spindles and paravertebral cement fragments. KEY POINTS: • Soft tissue cement leakages or spindle malpositions are a non-rare occurrence during cementoplasty, and may cause technical failure and/or chronic pain. • Most soft tissue cement fragments and malpositioned spindles can easily be extracted using simple percutaneous techniques.

Reinforced cementoplasty for pelvic tumour lesions and pelvic traumatic fractures: preliminary experience.

OBJECTIVES: Pelvic bone pathological lesions and traumatic fractures are a considerable source of pain and disability. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of reinforced cementoplasty (RC) in painful and unstable lesions involving the pelvic bone in terms of pain relief and functional recovery. METHODS: All patients with neoplastic lesion or pelvic fracture for whom a pelvic bone RC was carried out between November 2013 and October 2017 were included in our study. All patients who failed the medical management, patients unsuitable for surgery, and patients with unstable osteolytic lesions were eligible to RC. Clinical outcome was evaluated with a 1-month and 6-month post-procedure follow-up. The primary endpoint was local pain relief measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (18 females, 4 males; mean age of 65.4 ± 13.3 years [range 38-80]) presenting with painful and unstable pelvic lesions were treated by RC during the study period. Among the 22 patients, 8 patients presented with unstable pelvic fractures (3 patients with iliac crest fracture, 3 with sacral fractures, and the remaining 2 with peri-acetabular fractures). No procedure-related complications were recorded. All patients had significant pain relief and functional improvement at 1 month. One patient (4.5%) had suffered a secondary fracture due to local tumour progression. CONCLUSIONS: Reinforced cementoplasty is an original minimally invasive technique that may help in providing pain relief and effective bone stability for neoplastic and traumatic lesions involving the pelvic bone. KEY POINTS: • Reinforced cementoplasty is feasible in both traumatic fractures and tumoural bone lesions of the pelvis. • Reinforced cementoplasty for pelvic bone lesions provides pain relief and functional recovery. • Recurrence of pelvic bone fracture was observed in 4.5% of the cases in our series.

Reliability and accuracy of time-resolved contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in hypervascular spinal metastases prior embolization.

OBJECTIVES: Preoperative embolization of hypervascular spinal metastases (HSM) is efficient to reduce perioperative bleeding. However, intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (IA-DSA) must confirm the hypervascular nature and rule out spinal cord arterial feeders. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of time-resolved contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (TR-CE-MRA) in assessing HSM prior to embolization. METHODS: All consecutive patients referred for preoperative embolization of an HSM were prospectively included. TR-CE-MRA sequences and selective IA-DSA were performed prior to embolization. Two readers independently reviewed imaging data to grade tumor vascularity (using a 3-grade and a dichotomized "yes vs no" scale) and identify the arterial supply of the spinal cord. Interobserver and intermodality agreements were estimated using kappa statistics. RESULTS: Thirty patients included between 2016 and 2019 were assessed for 55 levels. Interobserver agreement was moderate (κ = 0.52; 95% CI [0.09-0.81]) for TR-CE-MRA. Intermodality agreement between TR-CE-MRA and IA-DSA was good (κ = 0.74; 95% CI [0.37-1.00]). TR-CE-MRA had a sensitivity of 97.9%, a specificity of 71.4%, a positive predictive value of 95.9%, a negative predictive value of 83.3%, and an overall accuracy of 94.6%, for differentiating hypervascular from non-hypervascular SM. The arterial supply of the spine was assessable in 2/30 (6.7%) cases with no interobserver agreement (κ < 0). CONCLUSIONS: TR-CE-MRA can reliably differentiate hypervascular from non-hypervascular SM and thereby avoid futile IA-DSAs. However, TR-CE-MRA was not able to evaluate the vascular supply of the spinal cord at the target levels, thus limiting its scope as a pretherapeutic assessment tool. KEY POINTS: • TR-CE-MRA aids in distinguishing hypervascular from non-hypervascular spinal metastases. • TR-CE-MRA could avoid one-quarter of patients referred for HSM embolization to undergo futile conventional angiography. • TR-CE-MRA's spatial resolution is insufficient to replace IA-DSA in the pretherapeutic assessment of the spinal cord vascular anatomy.

Safety of vertebral augmentation with cranio-caudal expansion implants in vertebral compression fractures with posterior wall protrusion.

OBJECTIVES: Vertebral augmentation (VA) has become routinely used in vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). VCFs are often associated with posterior wall protrusions (PWPs), which theoretically contraindicates vertebroplasty due to a higher risk of neurological complications. The latest generation of VA devices uses intravertebral cranio-caudal expandable implants to improve the correction of structural deformities but could also be used to prevent further PWP during cement injection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of VA with expandable implant for VCFs with PWP. METHODS: All consecutive patients treated with expandable implants were considered eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: (1) non-neurological VCF, (2) considered unstable (A3-A4 in AOSpine classification), (3) significant PWP (> 2 mm), (4) back pain with a visual analogue scale (VAS) ≥ 4. PWPs were independently measured by two investigators; Pearson's statistics were used for interobserver reproducibility. RESULTS: Fifty-one consecutive patients, with a mean age of 75 ± 8.3 years (range, 50-92), were included. There was a slight decrease between mean preoperative (6.7 mm ± 2.2 mm) and postoperative (6.5 mm ± 2.2 mm) PWP (p = 0.02), with an excellent interobserver reproducibility (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.92). A mean kyphosis reduction of 34.9% (± 28.4) was observed (p < 0.001). Forty-two patients (82.4%) had significant pain improvements (mean preoperative VAS = 6.9 [± 1.7] versus 3.1 [± 2.0] postoperatively [p < 0.001]). Secondary adjacent level fractures were noted in 16 patients (31.4%), with a reduction of that risk down to 18.8% if a preventive adjacent vertebroplasty was performed, without reaching the significance threshold (p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: VA with expandable implants appeared safe for non-neurological VCFs with PWP, while allowing satisfactory pain relief. KEY POINTS: • Vertebral augmentation with cranio-caudal expandable implants is safe for non-neurological vertebral compression fractures with posterior wall protrusions. • Vertebral augmentation with cranio-caudal expandable implants might increase the occurrence of secondary adjacent level fractures. • Adjacent level vertebroplasty might be helpful to prevent secondary adjacent level fractures.

Safety and effectiveness of cervical vertebroplasty: report of a large cohort and systematic review.

PURPOSE: To evaluate retrospectively safety and effectiveness of cervical vertebroplasty (cVP) based on a single-center large cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All cVP performed at a single center from January 2001 to October 2014 were included and reviewed. Procedure-related complications (minor and major) were systematically recorded. Effectiveness in terms of analgesia was evaluated using a semi-quantitative grading scale at 1-month follow-up. Risk factors for the occurrence of a procedure-related complication or cement leakage, as well as factors influencing pain relief at 1-month follow-up, were evaluated using a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and forty cVP procedures (176 vertebrae) were performed in 130 consecutive patients (88 female, 42 male; mean age = 56 years) during the inclusion period. Among the treated lesions, 80% were bone metastases (mostly from breast cancer), 8% were related to hematological malignancies, and 12% were non-malignant lesions. One fatal complication (0.7%) was related to cement migration in the vertebrobasilar system. Three cervical hematomas were recorded, one of them requiring prolonged oral intubation. The overall rate of major complications was 1.5%. At 1 month, pain reduction was observed in 76% of the cases. Additional surgical fixation was required in 6.1% of the cases. cVP of more than one vertebra during the same session was an independent risk factor for procedure-related complications. CONCLUSION: Cervical vertebroplasty is a safe technique with an acceptable major complication rate. Its effectiveness in terms of pain relief is good at mid-term follow-up. KEY POINTS: • Cervical vertebroplasty (cVP) is a safe procedure with a low rate of major complications (1.5%). • cVP provides pain relief in 76% of the cases. • Additional fixation surgery is rarely required after cVP (6.1% of the cases).

Intracardiac cement embolism during percutaneous vertebroplasty: incidence, risk factors and clinical management.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for ICE during a PV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-center retrospective analysis of 1512 consecutive patients who underwent 1854 PV procedures for osteoporotic (34 %), malignant (39.9 %) or other cause (26.1 %) of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs)/spine tumor lesions. Only thoracic or lumbar PVs were included. PVs were performed with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) low-viscosity bone cement under fluoroscopic guidance. Chest imaging (X-ray or CT) was performed the same day after PV in patients with high clinical suspicion of ICE. All post-procedural chest-imaging examinations were reviewed, and all ICEs were agreed upon in consensus by two radiologists. RESULTS: ICEs were detected in 72 patients (92 cement embolisms). In 86.1 % of the cases, concomitant pulmonary artery cement leakage was detected. Symptomatic ICEs were observed in six cases (8.3% of all ICEs; 0.32% of all PV procedures). No ICE led to death or permanent sequelae. Multiple levels treated during the same PV session were associated with a higher ICE rate [OR: 3.59, 95% CI: (1.98-6.51); p < 0.001]; the use of flat panel technology with a lower ICE occurrence [OR: 0.51, 95% CI: (0.32-0.83); p = 0.007]. CONCLUSION: Intracardiac cement embolism after PV has a low incidence (3.9 % in our study). Symptomatic complications related to ICE are rare (0.3%); none was responsible for clinical sequelae in our series. KEY POINTS: • The incidence of intracardiac cement embolism (ICE) during PVP is low (3.9%). • Having a high number of treated vertebrae during the same session is a significant risk factor for ICE. • Symptomatic intracardiac cement embolisms have a low incidence (8.3% of patients with ICE).

Vertebral augmentation with the SpineJack® in chronic vertebral compression fractures with major kyphosis.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are an important health issue for which minimally invasive techniques are a feasible treatment. The SpineJack® (Vexim) is an intravertebral expandable system designed to improve the correction of the structural modifications caused by OVCFs. Its ability to stabilise and reduce OVCFs at the acute phase being already well established, we sought to evaluate the feasibility of vertebral augmentation with the SpineJack® in chronic kyphotic OVCFs. METHODS: All consecutive patients treated with the SpineJack® were prospectively included if they met the following criteria: (1) OVCF considered unstable (grade A3 according to Magerl's classification). (2) Local kyphotic angle ≥ 20°. (3) OVCF older than 6 weeks. (4) Back pain with visual analogue scale (VAS) ≥ 4. RESULTS: Nineteen consecutive patients (16 women [84.2%] and 3 men [15.8%]; mean age 73.2 ± 8.2 years) were included. Treatment was performed after a mean delay of 5.8 months ± 2.9 (range 1.5-12). Median visual analogue scale significantly improved from 7 preoperatively (IQR 6-9) to 2 (IQR 1-5) at 6 months (p < 0.01). Significant kyphosis reduction (i.e. ≥ 30%) was obtained in 94.7% of cases. Secondary adjacent level fractures (SALFs) were noted in 21.1% of cases and were correlated with the importance of the kyphosis reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebral augmentation with the SpineJack® is feasible and seems able to correct major structural deformities in chronic OVCFs. SALFs were noted in a substantial amount of cases. Preventive adjacent vertebroplasty might be useful in patients with several risk factors for SALFs. KEY POINTS: • Vertebral augmentation with SpineJack® is effective to correct major structural deformities e.g. height loss and kyphosis. • Successful reduction is reachable with SpineJack® in chronic (older than 6 weeks) OVCFs. • Aggressive reduction of major kyphosis might promote SALFs and complementary adjacent vertebroplasties prevent their occurrence.

Long-term outcome of percutaneous alcohol embolization combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty in aggressive vertebral hemangiomas with epidural extension.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, on a long-term basis, the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous alcohol embolization (PAE) combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) as a sole treatment for aggressive vertebral haemangiomas (AVHs) with epidural extension. METHODS: From 1996 to 2015, 26 consecutive patients (15 women [58%] and 11 men; mean age 51.8 years [range: 19-75 years]) underwent PAE combined with PVP (performed at day 15) for the treatment of 27 AVHs with epidural extension. Clinical outcome was evaluated with a mean delay of 88.3 ± 53.3 months (range: 22-217 months). The primary endpoint was pain relief evaluated with a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: Pre-procedure mean VAS score was 7.23 ± 1.3 and significantly improved at last follow-up (m = 3.11 ± 1.9; p < 0.001). Ten patients (38.5%) remained asymptomatic. Eighty-eight percent of the patients with neurosensory disorders had complete regression of these symptoms. Two of the three patients with motor deficit did not show any improvement. No major complication was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: PAE combined with PVP is a minimally invasive safe and effective therapeutic approach for AVH with epidural involvement, even on long-term clinical outcome. This technique appears mainly effective for pain and neurosensory symptoms, but seems less effective for motor deficit relief. KEY POINTS: • Combination of PAE with PVP is a safe technique. • PAE combined with PVP is an effective treatment for sensory symptoms. • This strategy seems less effective in patients with motor deficits.

Reinforced cementoplasty using dedicated spindles in the management of unstable malignant lesions of the cervicotrochanteric region.

OBJECTIVES: In long bones, cementoplasty alone does not provide sufficient stability, which may cause secondary fractures. This study reviewed the safety and efficacy of reinforced cementoplasty (RC) (percutaneous internal fixation using dedicated spindles combined with cementoplasty) for unstable malignant lesions of the cervicotrochanteric region (CTR) of the proximal femur. METHODS: Eighteen consecutive patients (nine women [50%] and nine men [50%]; mean age 55.1 ± 16.2 years; range 22-85) underwent RC for 19 unstable lesions of the CTR (16/19 [84.2%] bone metastases, 3/19 [15.8%] multiple myeloma lesions). All the patients were considered unsuitable for surgery. Clinical outcome was judged with a mean follow-up of 8.8 ± 7.2 months (range 1-27). The primary endpoints were occurrence of secondary fractures during the follow-up period and local pain relief measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: No secondary fracture occurred. Mean VAS improved from 5.9 ± 3.1 (range 0-10) to 2.3 ± 2.4 (range 0-7) at 1 month (p = 0.001) to 1.6 ± 1.7 (range 0-5) at final follow-up (p = 0.0002). One symptomatic cement pulmonary embolism was recorded. CONCLUSION: RC is an original minimally invasive technique providing pain relief and effective bone stability for unstable malignant lesions of the cervicotrochanteric region in patients unsuitable for open surgery. KEY POINTS: • Reinforced cementoplasty (RC) combines intralesional spindling with cementoplasty. • RC provides effective bone stability and pain relief. • RC is a suitable minimally invasive option for patients in poor general condition.

Safety and Clinical Effectiveness of Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in the Elderly (≥80 years).

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in patients aged 80 and over. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-three patients (127 women, 46 men; mean age = 84.2y) underwent 201 PVP procedures (391 vertebrae) in our institution from June 2008 to March 2012. One hundred and twenty-six patients (73 %) had osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF), 36 (20.5 %) were treated for tumour lesions, and the remaining 11 (6.5 %) for lesions from another cause. Comorbidities and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores were assessed before treatment. Periprocedural and delayed complications were systematically recorded. A qualitative scale was used to evaluate pain relief at 1-month follow-up, ranging from significant pain worsening to marked improvement or disappearance. New fracture occurrence was assessed on follow-up imaging. RESULTS: Forty-five percent of patients had pretreatment ASA class scores ≥3. No major complication occurred. Pain was unchanged in 16.9 % of cases, mildly improved in 31.5 %, and disappeared in 47.8 %. We identified 27 (11 %) symptomatic new VCFs in patients with osteoporosis on follow-up imaging. The mean delay in diagnosis of new fractures was 5 ± 8.7 months. CONCLUSIONS: Even in the elderly, PVP remains a safe and effective technique for pain relief, independently of the underlying disease. KEY POINTS: • Post-PVP pain improvement was observed in 79.3 % of elderly patients. • PVP remains a safe technique in elderly patients. • No decompensation of comorbidity was observed in our series.

Evaluation of intra-aortic CT angiography performances for the visualisation of spinal vascular malformations' angioarchitecture.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performances of the CT-angiography by direct intra-aortic contrast media injection (IA-CTA) for spinal vascular malformations (SVMs)' imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients (8 males, 5 females, mean age: 56 y) with suspected SVM underwent IA-CTAs by direct intra-aortic iodinated contrast media injection (5 cc/s; 100 cc) via an arterial femoral or humeral access. Two independent observers evaluated the angioarchitecture of the SVMs and the visualisation of both the Adamkiewicz artery and the anterior spinal artery. Then a consensus was obtained between the 2 reviewers; the results of the IA-CTA were finally compared with those of the full spinal DSA evaluated in consensus. RESULTS: The IA-CTA was feasible in all cases and depicted the SVM in all except one case (92 %). Interrater agreement was good for the location of the SVMs' level. Intermodality (IA-CTA/DSA) agreement was excellent for the level and side of the shunt point, as well as for the SVM subtype evaluation. In 77 % of the cases, the Adamkiewicz artery was satisfactorily seen at the same time on IA-CTA. CONCLUSION: IA-CTA is a new technique that seems helpful to reach a better understanding of SMVs and may help to tailor more precisely their treatment. KEY POINTS: • IA-CTA is an accurate technique for the SVMs' angioarchitecture analysis • IA-CTA can locate, at the same time, the Adamkiewicz artery (AKA) • IA-CTA may be helpful in elderly patients with troublesome vasculature.

Has the percutaneous vertebroplasty a role to prevent progression or local recurrence in spinal metastases of breast cancer?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) on the prevention of progression or local recurrence in patients with spinal metastases from breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study on 55 patients between 27-78 years of age (mean age: 55 years) treated for metastatic breast cancer in the same institution (Curie institute, Paris, France), who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) (number of vertebrae treated=137) for spinal metastases from January 2000 to December 2009 at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital. Statistical correlation between the local tumor progression/recurrence, and the presence of an epidural or a paravertebral metastatic extension at diagnosis, the rate of cement filling the lesion (<50%, ≥50% but incomplete, complete/almost complete) and radiotherapy was evaluated using Chi(2) and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The rate of local tumor progression/recurrence of the vertebrae treated by vertebroplasty was 14% (19/137). No statistically significant correlation between either the rate of cement filling of the lesion, or the presence of an epidural or paravertebral metastatic extension, and progression/local recurrence after vertebroplasty was found. No influence of radiotherapy in preventing local progression/recurrence was noted. Distant new bone metastases were observed in 47 out of 55 patients (86%). CONCLUSION: The low rate of local tumor progression/recurrence after a vertebroplasty may support the hypothesis of an antitumor effect of the cement.

Safety and effectiveness of percutaneous sacroplasty: a single-centre experience in 58 consecutive patients with tumours or osteoporotic insufficient fractures treated under fluoroscopic guidance.

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience in percutaneous sacroplasty (PSP) for tumours and insufficiency fractures of the sacrum. METHODS: Single-centre retrospective analysis of 58 consecutive patients who underwent 67 PSPs for intractable pain from sacral tumours (84.5 %) or from osteoporotic fractures (15.5 %). The following data were assessed: visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after the procedure for global pain; short-term (1-month) clinical follow-up using a four-grade patient satisfaction scale (worse, unchanged, mild improvement and significant improvement); modification in analgesics consumption; referred short-term walking mobility. Minor and major complications were systematically assessed. RESULTS: The mean VAS score was 5.3 ± 2.0 in pre-procedure and 1.7 ± 1.8 in post-procedure. At 1-month follow-up, 34/58 (58.5 %) patients experienced a mild improvement; 15/58 (26 %) presented a significant improvement while 4/58 (7 %) and 5/58 (8.5 %) patients had unchanged or worse pain, respectively. Decreased analgesic consumption was observed in 34 % (20/58) of the patients. Eighty percent of patients with walking limitation experienced improvement, 16 % remained unchanged and 4 % were worse. We noted minor complications in 2/58 patients (3.4 %) and major complications in 2/58 patients (3.4 %). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous sacroplasty for metastatic and osteoporotic fractures is a safe and effective technique in terms of pain relief and functional outcome. KEY POINTS: • Percutaneous sacroplasty provides pain relief and functional improvement for insufficiency sacral fractures. • Percutaneous sacroplasty provides pain relief and function improvement for sacral tumours. • The major complication rate is acceptable (3.4 %), and is higher in sacral tumours. • Posterior wall/cortical sacral bone disruption is not statistically associated with more complications. • However, osteolytic tumours seem to be associated with higher risk of complications.

Comparison of intra-aortic computed tomography angiography to conventional angiography in the presurgical visualization of the Adamkiewicz artery: first results in patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity of intra-aortic computed tomography angiography (IA-CTA) to that of regular spinal digital subtraction angiography for the presurgical location of the Adamkiewicz artery (AKA). METHODS: Thirty patients (21 males, 9 females; mean age 64 years) had an IA-CTA for the location of the AKA before surgery of aneurysm (n = 24) or dissection (n = 6) of the thoracoabdominal aorta. After femoral artery puncture, a pigtail catheter was positioned at the origin of the descending aorta. CT acquisition was performed with an intra-aortic iodinated contrast media injection (15 mL/s, 120 mL). The visualization of the AKA and the location of the feeder(s) to the AKA were independently evaluated by two observers. Interrater agreement was calculated using a kappa test. Spinal angiogram by selective catheterization was systematically performed to confirm the results of the IA-CTA. RESULTS: The AKA was visualized by the IA-CTA in 27/30 cases (90 %); in 26/31 (84 %) cases, the continuity with the aorta was satisfactorily seen. Interrater agreement was good for the visualization of the AKA and its feeder(s): 0.625 and 0.87, respectively. In 75 % of the cases for which the AKA was visualized, the selective catheterization confirmed the results of the IA-CTA. In the remaining 25 % of the cases, the selective catheterization could not be performed due to marked vessels' tortuosity or ostium stenosis. CONCLUSION: IA-CTA is a feasible technique in a daily practice that presents a good sensitivity for the location of the AKA.

Value of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with or without percutaneous vertebroplasty for pain relief and functional recovery in painful bone metastases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation with or without percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) on pain relief, functional recovery and local recurrence at 6 months' follow-up (FU), in patients with painful osseous metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty RF ablations were performed in 24 patients (mean age: 61 years) with bone metastases. Half of the patients had an additional PV. The primary end point was pain relief evaluated by a visual analogue scale (VAS) before treatment, and at 1 and 6 months' FU. Functional outcome was assessed according to the evolution of their ability to walk at 6 months' FU. Imaging FU was available in 20 out of 24 patients with a mean delay of 4.7 months. RESULTS: Reduction of pain was obtained at 6 months FU in 81% of cases (15 out of 18). Mean pretreatment VAS was 6.4 (±2.7). Mean VAS was 1.9 (±2.4) at 1 month FU, and 2.3 (±2.9) at 6 months' FU. Pain was significantly reduced at 6 months FU (mean VAS reduction = 4.1; P < 0.00001). Functional improvement was obtained in 74% of the cases. Major complications rate was 12.5 % (3 out of 24) with 2 skin burns, and 1 case of myelopathy. Local tumour recurrence or progression was recorded in 5 cases. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation is an effective technique in terms of pain relief and functional recovery for the treatment of bone metastases, which provides a relatively low rate of local recurrence.

Percutaneous alcohol embolization and vertebroplasty of a T2 aggressive vertebral hemangioma with prior embolization of dangerous arterial anastomoses.

Aggressive vertebral hemangiomas usually exhibit extraosseous expansion that can result in spinal cord or radicular compression.1 In symptomatic cases, treatment by alcohol embolization and percutaneous vertebroplasty has been reported as feasible, safe, and effective with long-term benefits on neurological symptoms.2 Safety rules before vertebral alcohol embolization include preoperative spinal cord vascularization mapping and opacification through bone needles to assess the absence of dangerous intratumoral anastomoses.In video 1 we present a case of a symptomatic T2 aggressive vertebral hemangioma with dangerous anastomoses between the lesion and both supreme intercostal arteries (SIAs). Embolization by the arterial route of both SIAs was performed, which required good anatomic knowledge of the spinal cord vascularization at the cervicothoracic junction3 4 as a cervical radiculomedullary artery arose from the left costocervical trunk which also fed the left SIA. After occlusion of all dangerous arterial anastomoses, we were able to successfully perform T2 alcohol embolization and percutaneous vertebroplasty. neurintsurg;15/7/728/V1F1V1Video 1Case presentation.