title: Core Needle Percutaneous Transpedicular Vertebral Body Biopsy: A Study of 128 Cases.
abstract: METHODS
  We report an accurate technique for percutaneous transpedicular core needle biopsy of vertebral body lesions, and evaluate its effectiveness for histologic diagnosis retrospectively.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of this method retrospectively.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Better knowledge of vertebral pedicle morphometry has led to the development of transpedicular fixation techniques in spinal surgery. After experience with these techniques, we have been performing percutaneous transpedicular vertebral body core needle biopsies (transpedicular biopsy) for histologic diagnosis since 1993.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 128 patients who had undergone transpedicular biopsy for T1-L5 vertebral body lesions were evaluated. The biopsies were carried out under local anesthesia, except in children, for whom general anesthesia was used. Biopsy specimens were obtained by passing 8 or 11 G needle biopsy instruments percutaneously through the pedicle into the site of the lesion under C-arm fluoroscopy guidance. Histologic analyses were performed, and the accuracy and effectiveness of this technique were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pathologic evaluations were definitive in 120 patients (93.8%) and not diagnostic in 8. The accuracy of the results differed among the diagnostic categories. Diagnostic accuracy was 78.6% for primary neoplasms and 97.0% for metastatic neoplasms. There was a significant difference in the diagnostic criteria and spinal segment. True positive rate was higher in the thoracic spine (92.2%) than that of lumbar spine (76.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transpedicular biopsy is a useful procedure for evaluation of thoracic and lumbar vertebral body lesions.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *Orthopaedic Surgery †Radiology ‡Pathology, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Yoshikuni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mimata
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehara
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery