What are the indications for percutaneous vertebroplasty

  Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP): In 1984, Dr. Deramond in France applied percutaneous intravertebral injection of bone cement (PMMA) to successfully treat a patient with chronic painful cervical 2 vertebral hemangioma, and this procedure was called percutaneous vertebroplasty. Later, Duquesnal introduced PVP for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. after its application in the United States in 1994, this technique has spread rapidly worldwide in recent years.  Indications and contraindications for PVP: 1, vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis with pain; 2, aggressive vertebral hemangioma; 3, vertebral osteolytic metastases, spinal instability and low back pain due to myeloma; 4, other such as: vertebral lymphoma, eosinophilic granuloma, etc.  Absolute contraindications: coagulation dysfunction; poor physical condition, intolerant of surgery.  Relative contraindications: extensive bone destruction of the vertebral body, collapse of the vertebral body and compression of more than 2/3 of the original height, nerve compression due to collapse of the vertebral body or tumor spread, serious bone destruction at the posterior edge of the vertebral body.  Surgical method: Generally, the procedure can be performed under local anesthesia, and after routine disinfection and spreading, a puncture needle is percutaneously inserted into the diseased vertebral body under C-arm or CT fluoroscopy, and then bone cement (PMMA) is injected under fluoroscopy. The anterolateral approach is usually taken in the cervical spine, while the thoracic and lumbar spine are mostly accessed via the pedicle or the posterior approach. In general, if the pedicle is not destroyed, the transforaminal approach should be chosen under fluoroscopy if possible.  Main adverse reactions and complications: The most common one is the leakage of bone cement, usually to the paravertebral area, and in serious cases, if it penetrates into the spinal canal and leads to nerve root or spinal cord compression, it should be decompressed immediately, and it can even cause embolism by vascular diffusion, and in serious cases, it can lead to fatal pulmonary embolism, but the chance of occurrence is very low. Another type of reaction is mainly inflammatory fever and pain caused by heat production during bone cement polymerization.  PVP treatment evaluation focuses on observing pain relief and prevention of vertebral collapse. As the strength of the vertebral body increases and stability is enhanced, pain relief is more obvious and the patient’s quality of life is greatly improved. The pain of patients treated by PVP is generally relieved within 24 hours after surgery.  PVP has become a hot spot in orthopedic research because of its advantages of small creation, good treatment effect and fast postoperative recovery. However, there are still many problems to be explored and solved such as: 1. PMMA, the bone cement currently used, is sticky and not easy to inject. 2. PMMA can relieve pain, but it cannot inhibit the growth and bone destruction of tumor cells and tumor spread. 3. PVP cannot restore the height of the vertebral body before collapse, which affects the recovery of the physiological state of the vertebral body.  Therefore, the application of PVP should be strictly selected for surgical indications, skilled surgical operation, and the necessary equipment for surgical fluoroscopy and the conditions and techniques for spinal decompression if necessary.