Vertebroplasty comparing injectable calcium phosphate cement compared with polymethylmethacrylate in a unique canine vertebral body large defect model.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Vertebroplasty was developed to mechanically reinforce weakened vertebral bodies. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement has been most commonly used but carries risks of thermal injury and respiratory and cardiovascular complications. Calcium phosphate (CaP) offers the potential for biological resorption and replacement with new bone, restoring vertebral body mass and height. PURPOSE: To compare compressive strength, elastic modulus of the adjacent motion segments, and histologic response of vertebral bodies injected with either CaP or PMMA in a canine vertebroplasty model. STUDY DESIGN: By using a canine vertebroplasty model, two level vertebroplasties were performed at L1 and L3 and studied for 1 month (n=10) and 6 months (n=10). In each canine, one vertebral defect was randomly injected with either CaP cement (BoneSource; Stryker, Freiberg, Germany) or PMMA. METHODS: Twenty dogs had an iatrogenically created cavitary lesion at two nonadjacent levels injected with either CaP or PMMA. Canines from each group were tested mechanically (n=5) and histologically (n=5). Histology consisted of axial sections of the L1 and L3 vertebral bodies and high-resolution contact radiographs. Sections from each specimen were embedded in plastic without decalcification to study the bone-cement interface. Bone-cement interfaces were compared for evidence of necrosis, fibrosis, foreign body response, cement resorption, and new bone formation between the PMMA and CaP treatments groups. Mechanical compression testing was performed on specimens from the 1-month (n=5) and 6-month (n=5) time periods. The T13 vertebral body was used as an intact control for the destructive compression testing of L1 and L3. Each vertebral body was compressed to 50% of its original height under displacement control at 15 mm/min to simulate a nontraumatic loading situation. Force and displacement data were recorded in real time. RESULTS: Vertebral sites containing PMMA were characterized by a thin fibrous membrane. PMMA was detected within the trabeculae, vascular channels, and the spinal canal. Unlike PMMA, CaP underwent resorption and remodeling with vascular invasion and bone ingrowth. Woven and lamellar bone was found on the CaP cement surface, within the remodeled material, and on the surrounding trabeculae. Vertebral body compression strength testing revealed no significant difference in vertebral body height and compressive strength between PMMA and CaP. There was a trend for CaP-treated vertebrae to increase in compressive strength from 1 month to 6 months, whereas PMMA decreased compressive strength when compared with adjacent nontreated vertebrae. CONCLUSION: For both short and intermediate time periods, the injection of CaP cement can be an effective method to treat large vertebral defects. Early results indicate that CaP remodeling might result in the resorption of the majority of the cement with replacement by lamellar bone.

ISASS Policy Statement - cervical interbody.

Morgan Lorio, MD, FACS, Chair, ISASS Task Force on Coding & Reimbursement In 2011, CPT code 22551 was revised to combine or bundle CPT codes 63075 and 22554 when both procedures were performed at the same site/same surgical session. The add on code +22552 is used to report each additional interspace. 2014 heralded a downward pressure on this now prime target code (for non-coverage?) 22551 through an egregious insurer attempt to redefine cervical arthrodesis, effectively removing spine surgeon choice and altering best practice without clinical evidence. Currently, spine surgeons are equally split on the use of allograft versus cages for cervical arthrodesis. Structural allograft, CPT code 20931, is reported once per same surgical session, regardless of the number of allografts used. CPT code 22851 which is designated solely for cage use, has a higher reimbursement than structural allograft, and may be reported for each inner space. Hence, the rationale behind why some payers wrongly consider "spine cages NOT medically necessary for cervical fusion." A timely consensus paper summarizing spine surgeon purview on the logical progressive evolution of cervical interbody fusion for ISASS/IASP membership was strategically identified as an advocacy focus by the ISASS Task Force. ISASS appreciates the authors' charge with gratitude. This article has both teeth and transparent clinical real-world merit.

Open vertebral cement augmentation combined with lumbar decompression for the operative management of thoracolumbar stenosis secondary to osteoporotic burst fractures.

Osteoporotic burst fractures with neurologic symptoms are typically treated with neural decompression and multilevel instrumented fusion. These large surgical interventions are challenging because of patients' advanced ages, medical co-morbidities, and poor fixation secondary to osteoporosis. The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to describe a novel technique for the treatment of osteoporotic burst fractures and symptomatic spinal stenosis via a limited thoracolumbar decompression with open cement augmentation [vertebroplasty (VP) or kyphoplasty (KP)]. Indications for decompression and cement augmentation were intractable pain at the level of a known osteoporotic burst fracture with symptoms of spinal stenosis. As such, 25 patients (mean age, 76.1 years) with low-energy, osteoporotic, thoracolumbar burst fractures (7 males, 18 females; 39 fractures) were included. In all cases, laminectomy of the stenotic level(s) was followed by vertebral cement augmentation (9 VP; 16 KP). When a spondylolisthesis at the decompressed level was present, instrumentation was applied across the listhetic level (n = 9). Clinical outcome (1 = poor to 4 = excellent) was assessed on last clinical follow-up (mean, 44.8 wks). In addition, a modified MacNab's grading criteria was used to objectively assess patient outcomes postoperatively. Radiographic analysis of sagittal contour was assessed preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at final follow-up. The average time from onset of symptoms to intervention was 19 weeks (range, 0.3-94 wks). A mean of 1.6 fractures/patient was augmented (range, 1-3 fractures) and 2.8 levels were decompressed (range, 1-6 levels). No statistical difference in anatomic distribution or number of fractures between the VP and KP groups or in the instrumented versus noninstrumented patients was noted (P > 0.05). An overall subjective outcome score of 3.4 was noted. Twenty of 25 patients were graded as excellent/good according to the modified MacNab's criteria. The choice of augmentation procedure or use of instrumentation did not predict outcome (P = 0.08). Overall, 1.7 degrees of sagittal correction was obtained at final follow-up. One patient was noted to have progressive kyphosis after KP. The use of a limited-posterior decompression and open cement augmentation via VP or KP is a safe treatment option for patients who have osteoporotic burst fractures and who are incapacitated from fracture pain and concomitant stenosis. After thoracolumbar decompression, open VP/KP provides direct visualization of the posterior vertebral body wall, allowing for safe cement augmentation of burst fractures, stabilizing the spine, and obviating the need for extensive spinal reconstruction. Although clinically successful, this technique warrants careful patient selection.

Enhancement of stability following anterior cervical corpectomy: a biomechanical study.

STUDY DESIGN: An in vitro biomechanical study of various reconstructive techniques following decompression of the spondylotic cervical spine. OBJECTIVE.: To evaluate the biomechanical stability of anterior cervical plate fixation following three strategies of decompression for multilevel cervical spondylosis (three levels) of the cervical spine: three level discectomy, single corpectomy and discectomy, and a two-level corpectomy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The main goals of surgical treatment for cervical myelopathy include adequate decompression and stabilization while maintaining or restoring cervical lordosis. Cervical decompression is often performed through a corpectomy followed by strut-graft reconstruction. An anterior cervical plate with end-fixation (two points of fixation) is then used to span the construct. The authors propose an alternative to multilevel corpectomy and long-segment end construct plate fixation. Often times, the cervical stenosis is confined to the area of the degenerative discs. As a result, the authors feel that either multilevel discectomy or a corpectomy combined with discectomy followed by segmental plate fixation may provide adequate decompression with increased biomechanical rigidity as compared to cervical plate-constructs with end-fixation only. METHODS: Seven human cadaveric fresh-frozen cervical spines from C1-T1 were utilized. Three-dimensional motion analysis with an optical tracking device was used to determine motion following various reconstruction methods. All seven cervical spines underwent testing in a randomized order. The end construct model consisted of a corpectomy at C4 and C5 with a polymethyl methacrylate strut graft and an anterior cervical PEAK (DePuy-AcroMed) plate. The two segmental constructs also utilized the PEAK plate with one construct undergoing discectomies at C3-C4, C4-C5, and C5-C6 with polymethyl methacrylate interbody grafts and the other segmental construct undergoing a discectomy at C3-C4 and a corpectomy of C5. All specimens underwent a pure moment application of 2 Nm with regards to flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. RESULTS.: The three-level discectomy and combined one-level discectomy and corpectomy with segmental fixation was significantly more rigid in flexion-extension and lateral bending than the two-level corpectomy with end-construct plate fixation (P < 0.05). There was no increase in stability during extension between the end construct (two-level corpectomy) reconstruction model and the un-instrumented corpectomy and grafted specimen. No difference was noted between the segmental constructs and the end-construct with regards to axial rotation. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical myelopathy is traditionally treated with a multilevel corpectomy and an end-construct plate fixation spanning the strut graft. A large moment arm is generated at the ends of the construct, potentially leading to plate migration or dislodgment. Often times, adequate decompression can be achieved with either a multilevel discectomy or a combined discectomy and corpectomy with segmental plate fixation. This study clearly demonstrates that segmental plate fixation affords a more biomechanically rigid method of reconstruction with regards to flexion-extension and lateral bending than end-construct plate fixation. The increased rigidity afforded by segmental fixation may significantly decrease the likelihood of plate dislodgement in the setting of anterior instrumentation alone following anterior alone, long segment reconstruction procedures.