Safety and Efficacy of Sacroplasty for Sacral Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sacroplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic and malignant sacral fractures by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases were searched from their inception until February 2018 for articles describing sacroplasty. Inclusion criteria were as follows: studies reporting > 5 patients, and pain assessment before and after the procedure recorded with visual analog scale (VAS). Demographic data, procedural details, technical success rates, VAS scores before and after the procedure, and procedural complications were recorded. A random-effects meta-analyses of the VAS pain score before the procedure, at 24-48 hours, at 6 months, and at 12 months were calculated. RESULTS: Nineteen studies (18 case series and 1 cohort study) were identified consisting of 861 total patients (682 women and 167 men; mean age 73.89 ± 9.73 years). Patients underwent sacroplasty for the following indications: sacral insufficiency fractures secondary to osteoporosis (n = 664), malignancy (n = 167), and nonspecified sacral insufficiency fractures (n = 30). Technical and clinical successes were achieved in 98.9% (852/861) and 95.7% (623/651) of patients undergoing sacroplasty, respectively. The pooled major complication rate was 0.3%, with 3 patients requiring surgical decompression for cement leakage. Random-effects meta-analyses demonstrated statistically significant differences in the VAS pain level at preprocedure, 24-48 hours, 6 months, and 12 months, with cumulative pain scores of 8.32 ± 0.01, 3.55 ± 0.01, 1.48 ± 0.01, and 0.923 ± 0.01, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sacroplasty appears safe and effective for pain relief in patients with osteoporotic or malignant sacral fractures, with statistically significant sustained improvement in VAS pain scores up to 12 months.

Portal Vein Embolization Utilizing N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate for Contralateral Lobe Hypertrophy Prior to Liver Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) for portal vein embolization (PVE) when used to induce contralateral future liver remnant (FLR) hypertrophy in patients undergoing planned hepatic resection for hepatic malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed database (including articles indexed by MEDLINE) was searched for articles published from 1970 to 2018 describing patients treated with PVE utilizing NBCA to induce hypertrophy of the FLR prior to contralateral hepatic lobe resection. Demographic data, embolization technique, complications of embolization, resultant FLR hypertrophy, and surgical outcomes were obtained when available. A meta-analysis was performed to determine the cumulative relative hypertrophy rate of the FLR following PVE with NBCA. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 18 relevant articles. Six hundred and seven patients (383 men, 220 women; mean age 60.7 years) with procedures describing PVE utilizing NBCA were reviewed. The most common underlying hepatic malignancies were colorectal metastases (n = 348), followed by cholangiocarcinomas (n = 92), and hepatocellular carcinomas (n = 89). Technical success was reportedly achieved in 603/607 patients, for a success rate of 99.3%. Fixed effects meta-analysis of the relative hypertrophy rate of the FLR among studies resulted in an aggregate rate of 49.4 ± 1.3%. Of the patients who underwent attempted PVE, 461/607 (75.9%) eventually underwent surgical resection. Major complications following PVE occurred in 19 patients (3.13%), while minor complications following PVE occurred in 38 patients (6.26%). CONCLUSIONS: PVE utilizing NBCA to induce hypertrophy of the FLR prior to contralateral lobe resection in the setting of hepatic malignancy is safe and effective. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IIa-Systematic review of cohort studies.

Serial Uterine Artery Embolization for the Treatment of Placenta Percreta in the First Trimester: A Case Report.

Two patients with placenta percreta underwent uterine artery embolization (UAE) for abnormally invasive placenta (AIP) in the first trimester. Patient 1 had a 9-week cervical ectopic, while Patient 2 had a 9-week cesarean scar pregnancy. Elective termination of pregnancy was performed in both patients. UAE was performed with tris-acryl gelatin microspheres as well as gelfoam until stasis and was repeated in cases of revascularization. Both patients were followed with US/MRI/MRA scans and ß-hCG levels. Revascularization occurred in both patients following UAE, requiring multiple embolizations to achieve complete placental involution. Serial bland UAE may be an effective technique in the treatment of first-trimester AIP, with the distinct advantage of maintaining a patient's fertility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.