Vertebra plana: reappraisal of a contraindication to percutaneous vertebroplasty.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in treating symptomatic vertebra plana, which is considered a relative contraindication to the procedure.


METHODS
Out of 540 levels treated in 260 patients, we treated 40 patients (mean age: 74 years) with vertebra plana between T6 and L3 (37 osteoporotic and 3 metastatic levels). In most cases, the vertebra was accessed with fluoroscopic guidance from a single, transpedicular approach. All patients underwent a preliminary MRI examination, an immediate, post-procedure radiological examination, and a follow-up examination (mean duration, 6 months).


RESULTS
Both immediate and follow-up examinations showed that the mean pain and physical disability scores were significantly reduced compared to the scores before treatment (p ≤ 0.001). No complications occurred during the procedures. In 23/40 cases, asymptomatic intradiscal cement leakage occurred. Posterior or perivertebral leakage never occurred. In most cases, an intravertebral cleft was present, and we filled it with polymethylmethacrylate, which healed the pseudarthrosis. Partial vertebral height was restored in 7 cases. In 6 cases, a new fracture occurred between 1 and 3 months at a different level from the treated level.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results showed that PVP was a safe, effective treatment for symptomatic vertebra plana; thus, it should not be discounted for this group of patients. In most cases, the procedure was favored by the presence of an intravertebral cleft that appeared to contribute to minimizing the risk of posterior cement leakage. Filling the cleft with polymethylmethacrylate allowed intravertebral stabilization.
Department of Radiological Sciences, Catholic University School of Medicine (A. Gemelli Hospital), Italy. Electronic address: apedicelli@rm.unicatt.it.
Alessandro
A
Pedicelli
Emilio
E
Lozupone
Annamaria
A
Gatto
Pietro
P
Gulino
Francesco
F
D'Argento
Anna
A
Capozzi
Cesare
C
Colosimo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Intravertebral cleft; Percutaneous vertebroplasty; Polymethylmethacrylate; Spine; Vertebra plana; Vertebral fracture