Leakage of polymethylmethacrylate in percutaneous vertebroplasty: comparison of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with and without an intravertebral vacuum cleft.
OBJECTIVE
We compared polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) leakage from vertebral bodies in osteoporotic compression fractures with and without intravertebral vacuum clefts (IVCs) on computed tomography (CT) after vertebroplasty.


METHODS
Percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed in 59 patients, comprising 36 compression fractures with IVCs in 33 patients and 49 fractures without IVCs in 26 patients. All patients underwent postprocedural CT of treated and adjacent vertebral bodies. CT findings and clinical complications were assessed retrospectively with regard to the presence of PMMA leakage. When present, leakage types were classified as intradiscal, epidural, foraminal, and perivertebral venous. The frequencies and types of leakages were compared in both groups using chi and Fisher exact tests, respectively.


RESULTS
The PMMA leakage occurred in 20 (55.5%) of 36 fractures with IVCs and in 25 (51.0%) of 49 fractures without IVCs, without significant difference (P=0.679). No patients experienced clinical complications. The leakage types that frequently occurred were intradiscal (13/20, 65.0%), perivertebral venous (5/20, 25%), epidural (1/20, 5%), and foraminal (1/20, 5%) in compression fractures with IVCs; and epidural (11/25, 44.0%), intradiscal (6/25, 24%), and perivertebral venous (8/25, 32%) in those without. A significant difference was found between the most frequent types in both groups (P=0.006, P=0.003, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
On CT after vertebroplasty, the incidences of PMMA leakage in osteoporotic compression fractures with and without IVCs were similar; however, leakage type frequencies differed.
Jung
Jee Young
JY
Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Min Hee
MH
Ahn
Joong Mo
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000628:therapy*; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D001843:Bone Cements; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate