Percutaneous vertebroplasty through a transdiscal access route after lumbar transpedicular instrumentation.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Transpedicular vertebroplasty is an effective procedure to reduce pain and stabilize osteoporotic vertebral fractures. It is, however, difficult to perform after transpedicular instrumentation because the pedicle screws are in the way. PURPOSE: To determine if vertebroplasty can be performed in patients who have previously undergone osteosynthesis pedicle-screw fixation. STUDY DESIGN: We postulate that an alternate transdiscal route can be used in cases with instrumentation in order to successfully perform vertebroplasty. METHODS: We report the case of a 73-year-old male patient presenting with a fresh osteoporotic fracture of L2 and L3 6 weeks after having undergone a dorsal operative stabilization between L3 and L5. RESULTS: Vertebroplasty was performed using a transdiscal descending approach to treat the two adjacent vertebral levels. The patient reported a 50% decrease in pain and was able to walk with a stick at 3 months. At late follow-up at 18 months his walking had further improved and he experienced only sporadic lumbar pain. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebroplasty can be performed in patients having previously undergone transpedicular instrumentation. The transdiscal route represents such a new approach.

Analgesic effect of sacroplasty in osteoporotic sacral fractures: a study of six cases.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the short-term analgesic effect of sacroplasty in patients with osteoporotic sacral fractures. METHODS: Single-center retrospective observational study of all patients managed with sacroplasty for osteoporotic sacral fractures between October 2008 and November 2009. For each patient, symptom duration, pain intensity, and analgesic consumption were recorded. Sacroplasty was performed under local analgesia, in the prone position, with computed tomography guidance. The long-axis approach was sued to introduce the needles and polymethylmethacrylate cement along the fracture line(s). Pain was evaluated on a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) 24 hours before sacroplasty then at the time of weight-bearing resumption 24 hours after the procedure. Hospital stay length before and after the procedures were recorded. RESULTS: We identified six patients (five women and one man) with a mean age of 83.2 years. All six patients presented with low back pain and four also had buttock pain. The interval from pain onset to diagnosis ranged from 1 month to 1 year. All patients reported that pain onset followed a fall. The mean VAS pain score was 8.2 before sacroplasty and decreased by 7.6 points 24 hours after the procedure (with four patients having a score of 0). Mean hospital stay length were 12 days before and 4 days after sacroplasty. All patients required opioid analgesics before sacroplasty. At discharge, analgesic requirements were a step II analgesic in one patient, acetaminophen in one patient, and no analgesics in four patients. No adverse events were recorded. DISCUSSION: The findings from our small population are consistent with a recent literature review of 15 case-series studies showing a significant analgesic effect of sacroplasty. The rapid effect of sacroplasty allows prompt ambulation, thus avoiding complications related to immobility. CONCLUSION: Sacroplasty is effective in relieving pain due to sacral insufficiency fractures.

Pelvic osteoplasty in osteolytic metastases: technical approach under fluoroscopic guidance and early clinical results.

PURPOSE: To describe a new fluoroscopically guided technique for osteoplasty (or cementoplasty) of the superior and inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities and to provide information about the access routes and initial results on pain management after this technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three lytic metastases of the superior and inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities were treated in 14 consecutive patients. Percutaneous access of the bones was performed under fluoroscopy. All patients had pain refractory to radiation and narcotic therapy and were unsuitable candidates for surgery according to multidisciplinary consensus. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all cases. Clinically, effective pain relief was obtained in 92% of patients. One intraarticular asymptomatic minor complication and one major complication resulting from leakage near the pudendal nerve were observed. The latter was subsequently treated by radiofrequency ablation. CONCLUSION: Pelvic osteoplasty appears to be a safe and highly effective palliative therapy for painful osteolytic malignant bone metastases.

Painful osteolytic metastasis of the atlas: treatment with percutaneous vertebroplasty.

STUDY DESIGN: Technical note. OBJECTIVE: To describe a technique for performing percutaneous vertebroplasty of C1 for treatment of osteolytic metastatic disease involving the lateral portions of the atlas in which precautions are taken to protect the vertebrobasilar arterial supply and a posterior access route is used for cement delivery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has proved to be efficient for the treatment of painful osteolytic vertebral disease. Good clinical experience with this technique suggested its extension to stabilize a painful osteolytic lesion of the atlas. METHODS: A patient with known parotid cancer presented with neck pain refractory to conservative treatment. On computed tomography, osteolytic destruction of the atlas that mainly involved the right lateral mass and surrounded the vertebral artery was found. On digital subtraction angiography, the lesion was shown to be highly vascularized and supplied mainly by direct branches of the ipsilateral vertebral artery. To avoid the risk of cement reflux from the tumor vascular bed to the involved vertebral artery, coil occlusion of the involved V3 segment was performed before vertebroplasty. Percutaneous vertebroplasty was then carried out using a percutaneous posteroanterior direction access route. RESULTS: Satisfactory filling of the osteolytic lesion with cement was achieved radiologically. Three days after the intervention and at a 9-month follow-up examination, the patient was free of pain. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebroplasty used to treat an osteolytic lesion of the atlas involving the lateral mass was performed by a posterior percutaneous approach. To prevent vertebrobasilar embolism, the involved vertebral artery was occluded before polymer injection.

Radicular pain after vertebroplasty: compression or irritation of the nerve root? Initial experience with the "cooling system".

STUDY DESIGN: During vertebroplasty (VP), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) may leak into the posterior epidural venus plexus, provoking symptoms ranging from radicular pain to medullar compression. OBJECTIVES: To propose and test the feasibility of a procedure (cooling system) to prevent radicular irritation caused by foraminal PMMA leakage. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Foraminal leak of PMMA, as observed during VP, may lead to radiculalgia. Several mechanisms of nerve root irritation have been proposed. Considering heat or local chemical irritation has led us to treat immediately by local periradicular irrigation with a cooling liquid. METHODS: Four consecutive patients with observed foraminal leakage were treated by local fluid injection. Immediately after observation of a foraminal leak, a 20-gauge Chiba needle was positioned to reach the foramen. Ten cubic centimeters of lidocaine (0.2%) was followed by 100-200 cc of pressurized saline perfusion within 10-20 minutes (cooling system). RESULTS: In all patients with foraminal leakage, no radicular pain existed after application of the cooling system. No complications were observed with its use. CONCLUSION: In presence of a foraminal leakage, the immediate application of a cooling irrigation may protect the root from injury, which is explained by the hypothesis that the main mechanism of injury may be more related to heat or chemical irritation of the nerve than compression.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty in metastatic disease: transpedicular access and treatment of lysed pedicles--initial experience.

For the treatment of lytic disease involving the pedicles of vertebrae in patients with metastatic disease, the authors performed percutaneous vertebroplasty by using an access route via the lysed pedicle. Fifty-one pedicles were treated in 32 consecutive patients. In all cases, a radiologically satisfactory filling of both the affected pedicle and the vertebral body was achieved. Clinically effective pain relief was obtained in 24 (75%) of 32 patients, and no clinical complications were observed.

Direct transoral approach to C2 for percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed via a transoral route in a 70-year-old woman with a C2 metastasis of thyroid origin involving anterior vertebral elements. Complete pain relief was obtained after an uncomplicated minimally invasive procedure. This preliminary experience demonstrates that a transoral approach under fluoroscopic control can provide safe access to the upper cervical spine at C2 level.