Bone Abstracts

Introduction: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a well known surgical method to put the bone cement at osteoporotic vertebrae. There was a few report concerning about bone cement related complication such as dislodgment of injected cement. There are some contradictory study for long term reaction to bone cement in osteoporotic bone, especially injected cement features. This study is to assess the radiographic features of patients who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in osteoporotic compression fractures with a minimum of 7 years follow-up retrospectively.

Methods: Between January 2000 and August 2007, 253 patients were treated with PVP for osteoporotic compression fracture at our department; 81 patients died during follow-up and 101 patients (177 vertebras) were available for follow-up for over 7 years. We analysed the radiologic outcome focused on injected cement feature.

Results: The mean follow-up period was 8.2 years. A new adjacent vertebral fracture was documented by 55 vertebral bodies in 35 patients. Anterior body height in the last follow-up was improved about 0.3 mm compared with the preprocedural value, but was not statistically significant. Also, the focal kyphotic angle was reduced from 12.3° at the preprocedural state to 11.7° ° at the postprocedural state, but was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Out of the 101 cases, the 89 cases for whom the cement was injected into the vertebral body were kept in a stable condition. Seven cases of radiolucent line with decreased bone density in the adjacent area of cement and 5 cases of cement cracks accompanied with vertebral collapse were observed.

Discussions: Most of the injected cement showed radiologically stable in cement-bone interface, anterior vertebral height or focal kyphotic angle. In order to get more strengthened vertebrae, more biocompatible material will be needed.