title: Surgical procedure and initial radiographic results of a new augmentation technique for vertebral compression fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, a new minimally invasive technique called 'vertebral body stenting' (VBS) was introduced for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. The technique was developed to prevent the loss of reduction after deflation of the balloon and to reduce the complication rate associated with cement leakage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The amount of kyphosis correction, improvement of vertebral body height and quantitative cement leakage rate by applying CT-based quantitative volumetry after VBS were measured in 27 patients (55 vertebra) and compared with a control group (29 patients, 61 vertebrae), which was treated with conventional vertebroplasty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After VBS, a significant improvement was seen in vertebral height, compared to conventional vertebroplasty. The mean improvement in segmental kyphosis and vertebral kyphosis were 5.8° (p < 0.05) and 3.5° (p < 0.05), respectively. In the VBS group, the mean injected volume of cement per vertebral body was 7.33 cm(3) (3.34-10.19 cm(3)). The average amount of cement outside the vertebrae was 0.28 cm(3) (0.01-1.64 cm(3)), which was 1.36% of the applied total cement volume. In the vertebroplasty group, the applied mean volume of the cement per level was 2.7 cm(3) (1-5.8 cm(3)) and the average amount of cement outside the vertebrae was 0.15 cm(3) (0.01-1.8 cm(3)), which was 11.5% (0.2-60%) of the applied total volume of cement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of cement leakage after VBS was 25.5% compared to 42.1% in the vertebroplasty group. VBS led to a significant decrease in the leakage rate compared with conventional vertebroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. martin.thaler@uki.at
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thaler
authors.forename: Ricarda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lechner
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nogler
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gstöttner
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bach
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements