title: Thoraco-lumbar traumatic vertebral fractures augmentation by osteo-conductive and osteo-inductive bone substitute containing strontium-hydroxyapatite: our experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of osteointegrable strontium-hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) bone cement in the treatment of thoracolumbar traumatic vertebral fractures by percutaneous vertebroplasty (VTP).
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated 35 patients [29 (82.85 %) men, 6 (17.14 %) women, mean age 34.05 ± 8.36 years (range 21-54 years)] with single type A1.1 and A1.2 thoracolumbar traumatic vertebral fracture without endospecal bone fragments. Pain intensity was evaluated before and at 1 day; 1 week; and 1, 6, and 12 months after VTP by a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) score (0 = no pain, 10 = unbearable pain). Physical status and quality of life were evaluated by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire before and 1, 6, and 12 months after VTP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Procedural technical success was achieved in all patients with no deaths observed during follow-up. In three patients (8.57 %), postprocedural CT showed cement leakages: one intradiscal and two in venous plexus. No adjacent vertebral body fractures nor intrasomatic recollapse was detected. The VAS and ODI scores showed a statistically significant reduction 1 week after procedure (P value <0.0001) with a progressive statistically significant reduction during follow-up (P value <0.0001). Twenty-three patients (65.71 %) assigned a value of 0 to the VAS scale at 1 year after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strontium-hydroxyapatite bone cement is an effective and safe bone filler in percutaneous vertebroplasty with low leakage rate and absence of major complications when performed by a skilled equipe. It allows an immediate and long-lasting stabilization with a significant pain reduction and quality of life improvement.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Diagnostica per immagini e Radiologia interventistica, Fondazione PTV, Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taglieri
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiaravalloti
authors.forename: Eros
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calabria
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iundusi
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tarantino
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006882:Hydroxyapatites / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013324:Strontium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D006882:Hydroxyapatites; C076185:strontium hydroxyapatite; D013324:Strontium