OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical application and therapeutic effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP) and open vertebroplasty for metastatic spinal tumor.

METHODSThe clinical data of 126 patients with metastatic spinal tumor underwent surgery and obtained follow-up from January 2012 to March 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. These 126 cases were divided into two groups according to different operative methods. The metastatic tumor of 43 cases encroached vertebral canal oppressing spinal cord and nerve root, they were treated with open operation(open vertebroplasty group);and other 83 cases without obviously spinal cord or nerve root compression, or unfit for open operation, were treated with PVP (percutaneous vertebroplasty group) . VAS score, ECOG and Frankel grade were used to evaluate the pain and neurofunction in two groups.All out-hospital patients were followed up every 3 months for 1 time. X-ray, CT, MRI were examined in follow-up.

RESULTSA total of 112 vertebrae underwent PVP with the median surgical time of 50 min;VAS scores decreased significantly at 2 days after operation, which maintained till 1 month later; ECOG grade at 1 month decreased significantly;44 of 112 vertebrae suffered from asymptomatic bone cement leakage, no complications such as nerve injury or pulmonary embolism was found; the median survival time was 16 months. While for open vertebroplasty group, the median surgical time was 160 min and blood loss was 1 000 ml; postoperative VAS scores and ECOG grade at 1 month decreased significantly. Postoperative Frankel grade of 36 patients got improvement in 41 patients with spinal cord functional disturbance(87.8%); and 29 of 40 patients with incompleteness out of motor function were full recovery(76.3%); 12 cases (27.9%) occurred complications and the median survival time was 11 months.

CONCLUSIONSThe different vertebroplasty treatments can be selected for patients with metastatic spinal tumor, which can relieve the pain, improve the nerve function, reconstruct the spinal stabilization, maintain the local control and raise the life quality.