title: Cement pulmonary embolism after percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: an overview.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of the aging of the American population, osteoporotic vertebral fractures are becoming a common problem in the elderly. Minimally invasive percutaneous vertebral augmentation techniques have gained a great deal of importance in relieving the pain associated with these fractures, and are becoming the standard of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  These procedures involve the injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) into the vertebral body. However, these techniques have their complications, and among these, pulmonary embolism is one of the most feared. It is attributable to the passage of cement into the pulmonary vasculature. After encountering a case of PMMA embolism in our practice, we decided to highlight this topic and discuss the incidence, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of cement pulmonary embolisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, New York 10305, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maniatis
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kilkenny
authors.forename: Homam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alkaied
authors.forename: Dany
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elsayegh
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chalhoub
authors.forename: Kassem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D001843:Bone Cements / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D058498:Kyphoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate