Morphologic change in vertebral body after percutaneous vertebroplasty: follow-up with MDCT.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate maintenance of spinal canal size and restoration of vertebral height and wedge angle after percutaneous vertebroplasty.


METHODS
This study included 27 patients (19 women, eight men) with osteoporotic compression fractures (52 vertebrae). MDCT with multiplanar reformation was performed within 1 day before and 1 hour after the procedure and 1 year after the procedure on a routine or as-needed basis. The degree of retropulsion, smallest size of the spinal canal, and vertebral height and wedge angle were measured. Statistical analyses were performed with the paired Student's t and Mann-Whitney U tests.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences in degree of retropulsion or size of the spinal canal before and after treatment and at the follow-up evaluation (p > 0.05). Even in the 36 vertebrae with spinal canal compromise before the procedure, there was no significant change in spinal stenosis (p > 0.05). Vertebral height and wedge angle were restored immediately after treatment (1.2 mm and 2.8 degrees , p < 0.05). These restorations were more prominent in vertebrae with fracture clefts than in those without clefts (p < 0.05). Restoration of vertebral height and wedge angle were diminished, but the preprocedure results were maintained in follow-up (0.4 mm and 1.1 degrees , p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Vertebroplasty can maintain vertebral height and wedge angle and spinal canal size at least 1 year after treatment.
Hiwatashi
Akio
A
Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Yoshiura
Takashi
T
Yamashita
Koji
K
Kamano
Hironori
H
Dashjamts
Tuvshinjargal
T
Honda
Hiroshi
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media