title: Vertebral augmentation with nitinol endoprosthesis: clinical experience in 40 patients with 1-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to assess the clinical outcomes of patients treated by vertebral augmentation with nitinol endoprosthesis (VNE) to treat painful vertebral compression fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with one or more painful osteoporotic VCF, confirmed by MRI and accompanied by back-pain unresponsive to a minimum 2 months of conservative medical treatment, underwent VNE at 42 levels. Preoperative and postoperative pain measured with Visual Analog Scale (VAS), disability measured by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and vertebral height restoration (measured with 2-dimensional reconstruction CT) were compared at last follow-up (average follow-up 15 months). Cement extravasation, subsequent fractures, and implant migration were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long-term follow-up was obtained in 38 of 40 patients. Both VAS and ODI significantly improved from a median of 8.0 (range 5-10) and 66 % (range 44-88 %) to 0.5 (range 0-8) and 6 % (range 6-66 %), respectively, at 1 year (p < 0.0001). Vertebral height measurements comparing time points increased in a statistically significant manner (ANOVA, p < 0.001). Overall cement extravasation rate was 9.5 %. Discal and venous leakage rates were 7.1 and 0 % respectively. No symptomatic extravasations occurred. Five of 38 (13.1 %) patients experienced new spontaneous, osteoporotic fractures. No device change or migration was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VNE is a safe and effective procedure that is able to provide long-lasting pain relief and durable vertebral height gain with a low rate of new fractures and cement leakages.
authors: Interventional Radiology Unit, Villa Maria Hospital, Strada Comunale di Mongreno 180, Turin, 10132, Italy, gc.anselmetti@fastwebnet.it.
authors: Giovanni Carlo
authors: GC
authors: Anselmetti
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Manca
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Marcia
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Chiara
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Marini
authors: Gamal
authors: G
authors: Baroud
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Regge
authors: Filippo
authors: F
authors: Montemurro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000497:Alloys; D001843:Bone Cements; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D001843:Bone Cements; C013616:nitinol