title: Percutaneous vertebral augmentation: the status of vertebroplasty and current controversies.
abstract: Vertebroplasty is a cost-effective procedure for the relief of pain and suffering in the appropriate patient when done by a skilled practitioner under good image guidance. No study has ever shown any cost benefit of any balloon-based osteoporotic spine intervention over simple vertebroplasty. No study has ever shown any benefit of any intravertebral implant over vertebroplasty for osteoporotic compression fracture. Recent controversy has highlighted weaknesses in our practice of technology evaluation, and we need to address these issues across the board in the future more scientifically then we have done in the past.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Rikin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hargunani
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Le Corroller
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khashoggi
authors.forename: Kieran J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Munk
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D001843:Bone Cements; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053783:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001843:Bone Cements