STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series observational study. PURPOSE: Cancer patients are often aged and are further weakened by their illness and treatments. Our goal was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of using minimally invasive techniques to operate on spinal fractures in these patients. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Vertebroplasty is now considered to be a safe technique that allows a significant reduction of the pain induced by a spinal tumoral fracture. However, few papers describe the kyphosis reduction that can be achieved by combining percutaneous fixation and anterior vertebral reconstruction. METHODS: We studied 35 patients seen between December 2013 and October 2016 who had at least one pathological spinal fracture and multiple vertebral metastases. The population’s mean age was 67 years, and no patients included had preoperative neurological deficits. The patients underwent a minimally invasive surgery consisting of a percutaneous pedicular fixation with cement-enhanced screws and anterior reconstruction comprising kyphoplasty when possible or corpectomy in cases of excessive damage to the vertebral body. Back pain, traumatic local and regional kyphosis, and Beck’s Index were collected pre- and postoperatively, and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Mean follow-up time was 13.4 months. Significant reductions in back pain (p<0.001) and local (p<0.001) and regional kyphosis (p=0.006) were found at the 6-month follow-up (alpha risk level <0.05). Beck’s Index was also significantly increased, indicating good restoration of the anterior vertebral height. By the final follow-up, no screws had fallen/pulled out. There were no infectious or neurological complications. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous cement-enhanced fixation for pathological fractures has proven a safe and efficient technique in our experience, enabling weak patients to rapidly become ambulatory again without complications. Further follow-up of the patients is necessary to assess the long-term effects of this technique and the continued quality of life of our patients.
Back Pain ; Cementoplasty ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Humans ; Kyphoplasty ; Kyphosis ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Observational Study ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; Vertebroplasty

A 76-year-old woman with compression fracture of L1 underwent percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty using polymethyl methacrylate. Three years after kyphoplasty of L1, the patient was readmitted with severe low back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed progressive collapse of L1 vertebra and new compression fracture at T12. There were no signs of infection. As conservative treatment failed, combined surgery consisting of anterior corpectomy of T12 and L1, interposition of a titanium mesh cage filled with autologous rib graft, and anterior instrumentation of T11-L2 was performed. Histologic examination showed granulomatous inflammation surrounding the cement. Polymerase chain reaction and culture of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The anti-tuberculous medications were administered for 10 months, and the patient recovered without any sequelae. Tuberculous spondylitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of spondylitis after cement augmentation. If conservative antibiotic therapy fails, resection of the infected bone-cement complex is indicated.
Aged ; Cementoplasty ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Kyphoplasty ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Ribs ; Spine ; Spondylitis ; Titanium ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; Vertebroplasty

One of the main restrictions of vertebroplasty is the high injection pressure that is required to inject sufficient cement into a fractured vertebral body. Kyphoplasty can be used to reduce injection pressure by making a void with a balloon tamp. During vertebroplasty, serious complications such as pulmonary embolism and neurologic compression have been reported, which usually occur when uncontrolled excessive pressure is applied to inject bone cement. We devised a technique of making small voids and connections with the fracture gaps to reduce cement delivery pressure during vertebroplasty that involves a simple modification of the conventional technique. The modification of vertebroplasty using a curved probe may be used to control the cement injection easily during the procedures and minimize complications related to cement leakage.
Kyphoplasty ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Vertebroplasty

It is easy to overlook osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the ankle in patients with chronic lower limb pain, such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) or thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO, Buerger's disease). A 57-year-old woman diagnosed with type 1 CRPS, and a 58-year-old man, diagnosed with TAO, complained of tactile and cold allodynia in their lower legs. After neurolytic lumbar sympathethic ganglion block and titration of medications for neuropathic pain, each subject could walk without the aid of crutches. However, they both complained of constant pain on the left ankle during walking. Focal tenderness was noted; subsequent imaging studies revealed OCLs of her talus and his distal tibia, respectively. Immediately after percutaneous osteoplasties, the patients could walk without ankle pain. It is important to consider the presence of a hidden OCL in chronic pain patients that develop weight-bearing pain and complain of localized tenderness on the ankle.
Animals ; Ankle ; Cementoplasty ; Chronic Pain ; Cold Temperature ; Crutches ; Female ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Neuralgia ; Osteochondritis Dissecans ; Talus ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans ; Tibia ; Troleandomycin ; Walking ; Weight-Bearing

More than 30% of patients with cancer do not receive adequate pain-control treatment. Metastatic bone lesion-induced pain is one of the most common causes of cancer pain. Although cancer pain is reasonably well controlled using the World Health Organization analgesic ladder in most cases, metastatic bone lesion-induced pain generally does not respond well to traditional treatments. Interventional treatments are considered only when traditional treatments are ineffective or increasing the opioids dosage is impossible because of severe complications. In these cases, interventional treatments, such as peripheral nerve block, neuraxial block, vertebral augmentation, percutaneous cementoplasty, radiofrequency ablation, and cryoablation, can be considered. Fortunately, nerve block techniques show significant effects in many cases. The recent development of the intrathecal pump makes drug delivery safer and continuous for patients, without the need for replacement, until the end. Vertebral augmentation is a very useful pain-relieving method for metastatic spinal lesion pain. Vertebral augmentation and percutaneous cementoplasty provide stability and reinforcement to the weight-bearing bones and spine, thereby improving the quality of life of patients. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation are applicable to painful metastatic spinal and bone lesions; when performed together with vertebral augmentation or percutaneous cementoplasty, the results are even better. If interventional treatments are appropriately performed at the proper time, they can have a synergistic effect and lower the rate of side effects compared to traditional treatments; thus, increasing the quality of life of patients with cancer and restoring their dignity until the end.
Analgesics, Opioid ; Catheter Ablation ; Cementoplasty ; Cryosurgery ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Nerve Block ; Peripheral Nerves ; Quality of Life ; Spine ; Weight-Bearing ; World Health Organization

A 49-year-old man with metastatic melanoma and pathologic fracture of the sternum was deemed to be a poor candidate for general anaesthesia. He suffered severe pain and range of motion limitation that did not respond to narcotic therapy. Ultimately, the lesion was managed with computed tomography-guided cryoablation and subsequent cementoplasty, and saw good initial clinical results.
Cementoplasty ; methods ; Cryosurgery ; methods ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sternum ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Extraspinal percutaneous osteoplasties (POPs) are novel techniques for the treatment of painful bony metastasis, which is often the cause of both persistent and incidental breakthrough pain. This retrospective study explored the efficacy and complications of extraspinal POPs. METHODS: The origin of the cancer metastasis, performed POP sites, necessity of adjacent joint injections, pain and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores, complications related to the POPs, and life expectancy were evaluated from the medical records from 2009 to 2016. RESULTS: A total of 47 (M/F = 28/19) patients had received 54 POPs, including costoplasty, scapuloplasty, ilioplasty, humeroplasty, ischioplasty, femoroplasty, sternoplasty, and puboplasty, in order of frequency. The most common sites for the origin of the cancer, in order of frequency, were the lung, liver, breast, colon, and kidney. All patients receiving POPs including scapuloplasty, ilioplasty, humeroplasty, and femoroplasty needed adjacent joint injections before or after the POPs. Pain due to metastatic lesions was reduced significantly immediately after the POPs and the reduction was sustained until the end of their lives. The median KPS was increased from 35.4% to 67.7% immediately after the POPs. There were no complications related to the procedures. The mean life expectancy after performing the POPs, for 35 patients which died afterwards, was 99.3 days, ranging from 1 to 767 days. CONCLUSION: Even though pain in the isolated POP sites may be difficult to measure due to overlapping systemic pain, the POPs provided immediate local pain relief, and the patients showed better physical performance without procedure-related complications.
Breakthrough Pain ; Breast ; Cementoplasty ; Colon ; Early Ambulation ; Humans ; Joints ; Karnofsky Performance Status ; Kidney ; Life Expectancy ; Liver ; Lung ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To explore the percutaneous hollow screw internal fixation combined with cementoplasty in the treatment of periacetabular metastasis. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 16 patients with periacetabular metastasis who were treated with percutaneous hollow screw internal fixation combined with cementoplasty between May 2020 and May 2021. There were 9 males and 7 females. The age ranged from 40 to 73 years, with an average of 53.6 years. The tumor involved around the acetabulum, and 6 cases were located on the left and 10 cases on the right. Operation time, frequency of fluoroscopy, bed rest time, and complications were recorded. Before operation, and at 1 weeks, 3 months after operation, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate the pain degree, the short-form 36 health survey scale (SF-36) score was used to evaluate the quality of life. At 3 months after operation, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scoring system was used to evaluate the functional recovery of patients. During follow-up, the loosening of internal fixator and bone cement leakage were observed by X-ray film. RESULTS: All patients were performed operation successfully. The operation time ranged from 57 to 82 minutes, with an average of 70.4 minutes. The frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy was 16-34 times, with an average of 23.1 times. After operation, 1 case of incision hematoma and 1 case of scrotal edema occurred. All patients felt the pain relieved after operation. The patients started walking at 1-3 days after operation, with an average of 1.4 days. All patients were followed up 6-12 months (mean 9.7 months). The VAS and SF-36 scores significantly improved after operation when compared with the preoperative scores, and the scores at 3 months after operation were significant better than those at 1 week after operation ( P<0.05). At 3 months after operation, the MSTS score ranged from 9 to 27, with an average of 19.8. Among them, 3 cases were excellent (18.75%), 8 cases were good (50%), 3 cases were fair (18.75%), and 2 cases were poor (12.5%). The excellent and good rate was 68.75%. And 11 patients returned to normal walking, 3 had mild claudication, and 2 had obvious claudication. Radiological examination showed that there were 2 cases of bone cement leakage after operation, and there was no internal fixator loosening or displacement. CONCLUSION Percutaneous hollow screw internal fixation combined with cementoplasty can effectively relieve pain and improve the quality of life of patients with periacetabular metastasis.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Cements ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Bone Screws ; Cementoplasty ; Pain

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of insufficiency fractures of the sacrum in an elder population increases annually. Fractures show very different morphology. We aimed to classify sacral insufficiency fractures according to the position of cortical break and possible need for intervention.METHODS: Between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2014, all patients with a proven fracture of the sacrum following a low-energy or an even unnoticed trauma were prospectively registered : 117 females and 13 males. All patients had a computer tomography of the pelvic ring, two patients had a magnetic resonance imaging additionally : localization and involvement of the fracture lines into the sacroiliac joint, neural foramina or the spinal canal were identified.RESULTS: Patients were aged between 46 and 98 years (mean, 79.8 years). Seventy-seven patients had an unilateral fracture of the sacral ala, 41 bilateral ala fractures and 12 patients showed a fracture of the sacral corpus : a total of 171 fractures were analyzed. The first group A included fractures of the sacral ala which were assessed to have no or less mechanical importance (n=53) : fractures with no cortical disruption (“bone bruise”) (A1; n=2), cortical deformation of the anterior cortical bone (A2; n=4), and fracture of the anterolateral rim of ala (A3; n=47). Complete fractures of the sacral ala (B; n=106) : parallel to the sacroiliac joint (B1; n=63), into the sacroiliac joint (B2; n=19), and involvement of the sacral foramina respectively the spinal canal (B3; n=24). Central fractures involving the sacral corpus (C; n=12) : fracture limited to the corpus or finishing into one ala (C1; n=3), unidirectional including the neural foramina or the spinal canal or both (C2; n=2), and horizontal fractures of the corpus with bilateral sagittal completion (C3; n=8). Sixty-eight fractures proceeded into the sacroiliac joint, 34 fractures showed an injury of foramina or canal.CONCLUSION: The new classification allowes the differentiation of fractures of less mechanical importance and a risk assessment for possible polymethyl methacrylate leaks during sacroplasty in the direction of the neurological structures. In addition, identification of instable fractures in need for laminectomy and surgical stabilization is possible.
Cementoplasty ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Sacrum ; Spinal Canal

No abstract available.
Kyphoplasty