Complications of Percutaneous Vertebroplasty: A Clinical Study and Literature Review

Abstract

Aim: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe back pain induced by osteoporotic or neoplastic compression fractures. Although this is a minimally invasive procedure, complications have been reported. Migration of polymethylmethacrylate is the most important complication. Methods and Materials: During a 5-year period, 28 patients (13 men and 15 women mean age 61.7 y) underwent fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous vertebroplasty procedures to treat 30 vertebrae. Vertebroplasty was carried out in 73.7% vertebrae with osteoporotic compression fractures. Results: Half of patients had no leakage, 23.3% of patients had disk space leakage, 20% of patients epidural and foraminal leakage, and 6.7% of patients had venous epidural leaks. There were no deaths or delayed complications. Mean Visual Analogue Scale before treatment was 76.5 +/- 8.72 and after treatment was 21.3 +/- 1.07, that means vertebroplasty significantly relief the pain. Four patients had radicular pain that completely resolved with rest and conservative treatment. Conclusions: Percutaneous vertebroplasty may have major complications, such as a cement leakage into the epidural spaces, even when carried out by experienced spinal surgeons. Despite the cement leakage percutaneous vertebroplasty-induced complications were rare.