Effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty in cases of vertebral metastases

Purpose and objectivesTo assess the effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) in patients with vertebral collapse due to metastases.Materials and methodsPV procedures performed on 95 vertebras in 52 patients with primary malignancy were retrospectively evaluated. Vertebral metastases, primary malignancies of the patients, pain before and after PV on a visual analogue scale (VAS), amount of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement applied to the vertebral body during PV, PMMA cement leakage and vertebral approaches were evaluated.ResultsVAS scores of 43 patients (in total 79 vertebras) were evaluated. Median VAS scores of patients declined from 8 (4–10) before PV to 3 (0–7) within one day after the procedure, to 2 (0–9) one week after the procedure and eventually to 2 (0–9) 3 months after the procedure (p < 0.001). PMMA amount applied to the vertebral body during PV varied between 1.5–9 mL (average ± SD 4.91 ± 1.61). There was no significant statistical correlation between PMMA amounts and VAS scores within one day after, 1 week after and 3 months after the PV procedure (p > 0.05).ConclusionPV is a simple, effective, reliable, easy to perform and minimally invasive procedure in patients with painful vertebral metastases.