OBJECTIVETo retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 17 patients with bone cement leakage after percutaneous kyphoplasty and explore the leakage type and mid-term clinical effects.

METHODSThe clinical data of 17 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures occurred bone cement leakage after percutaneous kyphoplasty from October 2011 to October 2016 were collected. There were 7 males and 10 females, aged from 68 to 87 years old with an average of 78 years. All the patients had the history of low emergy trauma who had normal activity and full self-care for living before trauma, and complained with the lower back pain without signs and symptoms of nerve root injury after trauma. According to the anatomical location by images, the bone cement leakage pathways was confirmed, the preoperative and postoperative vertebral body height and Cobb angle were measured, the improvement of spinal stenosis were recorded. Preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) were used to evaluate pain and daily activities.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up for 4 to 7 years with an average of 5.1 years. According to anatomical location by images, we found the bone cement leakage pathways of vertebral side type in 6 cases, intervertebral disc type in 3 cases, spinal canal type in 2 cases, vertebral pedicle type in 5 cases and mixed type in 1 case. Vertebral body height from preoperative(27.7±3.5)% restored to (56.4±2.5)% at final follow-up, and the kyphosis was corrected with Cobb angle from preoperative(45.3±4.2)° corrected to(18.3±3.1)° at final follow-up. VAS score decreased from preoperative 7.9±1.5 to 2.1±0.5 at final follow-up. ODI obviously restored from preoperative(49.1±7.5)% to (23.5±3.7)% at final follow-up. The nerve symptoms in lower limbs occurred in 2 cases, and the neurological symptom was disappeared after urgent symptomatic treatment and anaphase trophic nerve treating. Lower back pain occurred in 3 cases, including one case of unbearable pain, and the pain disappeared after symptomatic treatment.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough the rate of bone cement leakage during percutaneous vertebral kyphoplasty is not low, the bone cement leakage has little influence on PKP surgery. Even if a little leakage occurred within the spinal canal during the surgery, spinal canal decompression will not be needed urgently. The significant clinical symptoms caused by leakage can basically disappear after treatment in mid-term follow-up.