Percutaneous kyphoplasty: new treatment for painful vertebral body fractures.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of Percutaneous Kyphoplasty as a new method of treatment for pain deriving from vertebral compression fractures (VCF).


METHODS
We treated sixteen patients with unremitting pain over spine, which increased particularly when pressure was applied over the spinous process, in absence of neurological signs and refractory to conventional medical therapy.


RESULTS
The method demonstrated swift pain relief associated with an evident augmentation in the resistance and restoration of the vertebral body's physiological shape. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) leakages were not observed in the epidural space or foraminal area. The presence of complications such as pulmonary embolism involving the venous plexus, toxicity due to PMMA and infection due the procedure did not occur.


CONCLUSIONS
Kyphoplasty is an effective, alternative, simple and safe treatment of vertebral collapse consequent to osteoporosis. aggressive haemangiomas, myelomas and metastases.
Masala
Salvatore
S
Department of Diagnostics for Images and Interventional Radiology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. salva.masala@tiscali.it
Cesaroni
Alessandro
A
Sergiacomi
Gianluigi
G
Fiori
Roberto
R
Massari
Francesco
F
Manenti
Guglielmo
G
Nardi
Piervittorio
P
Simonetti
Giovanni
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome